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New-look Milan sparks renewed optimism but key test awaits

Sumeet Paul
With the 2023/24 season fast approaching, AC Milan go into the new campaign with a very different look having invested in Stefano Pioli’s squad.

Armed with the transfer fee from Sandro Tonali’s sale, the Rossoneri have finally looked to add youthful quality to the group after getting the maximum out of some aging options in recent seasons.

READ MORE: Crucial challenge ahead that Milan must get right this summer

It remains an exciting gamble at this stage before we see tangible proof that Pioli is able to successfully mesh it together and find the right balance, having signed no less than eight new players this summer.

Aside from Marco Sportiello to shore up our goalkeeping department, the others represent a rebuild of a midfield and attack that severely lacked depth and an ability to be decisive on a consistent basis, and while their youthful exuberance will be a refreshing change, they also still have plenty to prove.

Milan rebuild midfield

At the time of his departure, there was frustration and disappointment that Tonali was moving on, having long believed that the Italian international would be a symbol of the club for years to come given his affinity with the club and his importance in the side.

In Tijjani Reijnders and Yunus Musah though, we’ve hopefully filled that void and then some, with the 24-year-old and 20-year-old respectively also hopefully offering long-term solutions as well as a balance and versatile tactical solutions for Pioli to use when needed.

Alongside Ismael Bennacer, Rade Krunic and others, that gives us midfield options to be able to compete on multiple fronts without relying on a particular partnership. While it’s hoped the most effective pairing ultimately emerges as a core strength of the side, it’s vital to have that competition and depth to compete at the top level.

Attack finally addressed with fresh faces

The same can be said of our attack, which has been a glaring concern for some time now given our lack of creative quality and ability to be decisive on a consistent basis, but Milan have moved to address it as a priority this summer.

Ruben Loftus-Cheek’s impact from midfield will be vital as he adds a different dynamic, and coupled with Christian Pulisic, Samuel Chukwueze, Noah Okafor and Luka Romero, they will all now add a fundamental pool of options and replace those who were simply too inconsistent and unreliable for too long.

Pioli now has physicality, energy, speed, creativity and goals at his disposal as Milan have made a conscious effort to build the squad in a certain way to adapt to and thrive in the current football landscape, and as pointed out earlier in this piece, it’s on the Milan boss to find the right balance in his side to ensure that it all clicks.

There was a similar transfer spree in the infamous summer of 2017, and it’s hoped that this one turns out to be significantly more influential and impactful in the coming years, with a renewed sense of optimism and excitement about what this new-look Milan will produce week-to-week and the potential success that could follow.

Naturally, we’ll still rely on the likes of Rafael Leao, Olivier Giroud, Bennacer, Fikayo Tomori, Theo Hernandez, Mike Maignan and others to lead the way having already established themselves as key figure in the Milan XI, and there are still areas of the squad that perhaps need attention before the window closes.

However, in our eight summer signings thus far, we’ve taken a potential big step forward to begin a new cycle and freshen up a squad that was in dire need of it.

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