After AC Milan announced a contract extension for Matteo Gabbia this week, it provides the Rossoneri defender with a big opportunity to establish himself as a long-term figure in the squad.
As per the club’s official site, the 22-year-old has signed a deal that will keep him at Milan until 2026, thus making him an important part of our strategy in the coming years.
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To date, Gabbia has made 31 appearances for the club, and while there is significant competition for places in the current squad which has pushed him down the pecking order under Stefano Pioli, there will be opportunities for him as we saw last month when he was thrust back into the starting XI.
🚨✅ Milan confirm that Matteo Gabbia's contract has been extended until 30 June 2026.
Pleased for him. Lot to work on still but hopefully continues to learn from those experienced players ahead of him in pecking order and offers solid depth.#ACMilan #SempreMilan pic.twitter.com/zB7E9hDKhD
— Talk Milan (@talkmilan1) February 3, 2022
Gabbia a key resource for Milan but one that still needs work
At 22 years of age, Gabbia has time on his side as he continues to learn, develop and evolve his game to become a reliable and solid centre-half capable of performing at this level week in and week out.
As with any young player, he has had his troubles at times. His recent run in the Milan starting line-up saw him struggle and look vulnerable on occasion, but those are learning experiences that he must go through to improve and become a better player.
Importantly, he has the likes of Simon Kjaer and Alessio Romagnoli to help guide him, and the experience, wisdom and knowledge that they can impart on him both in training and in-game, will be invaluable, provided he uses it smartly and directly applies it to his game to ensure he does indeed improve.
Time will tell if the Milan hierarchy still believe that another signing in that department is necessary this summer, as with Kjaer now approaching his 33rd birthday, there is a case to be made that we need to start thinking more long term and strengthening in that area to ensure we’re competitive in the coming years both domestically and in Europe.
Nevertheless, what showing faith in Gabbia does is it gives us competition and depth in that position, and hopefully while we gradually see him flourish into a top player, it saves us a significant amount of money in the transfer market on signing another defender to act as back-up.
Milan’s inactivity in the January transfer window was a concern, particularly as there are obvious areas in this current squad that need reinforcements to make sure we continuously improve and become more competitive.
If there is a strategy in place for the summer, then fans will have to be patient. However, what the club can start considering at this stage is the identity of Pioli’s squad now and who will form an important part of it beyond this season. Gabbia’s contract extension makes it clear that he will be, and now it’s on him to prove that show of faith and confidence from the club is well placed and that he can be an important part of our plans moving forward.