After AC Milan confirmed the appointment of Paulo Fonseca as our new coach this week, the Rossoneri boss will have much to do when he gets to work.
While there were undoubtedly highs and memorable moments in Stefano Pioli’s five-year tenure, it’s difficult to ignore that it ended in underwhelming fashion as we have a significant gap to bridge both domestically and in Europe.
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The Milan hierarchy evidently believe that Fonseca is the right man to take us forward, and hopefully that proves to be the case as we now plan ahead to mould the squad into his own and make it more competitive in the coming years.
Identifying and signing reinforcements will only be part of the job though, as the 51-year-old tactician will have plenty to get through to stamp his mark at the club as he begins an initial three-year stint, as per the club’s statement.
Antonio Mirante, Mattia Caldara, Simon Kjaer and Olivier Giroud will officially depart at the end of this month, and so whether it’s replacement starters or much-needed quality depth, there will be voids that must be filled.
Losing the experience and leadership of the latter duo will be the biggest blow, and so Fonseca, in conjunction with the Milan management team, will have to get the balance right in the transfer market to ensure we have influential figures ready to step into those roles.
Signing a top-level, long-term forward will undoubtedly be a priority given Giroud’s exit, and so amid intense speculation that Joshua Zirkzee is our No.1 target, it’s hoped that the talented Dutch youngster is capable of stepping up and delivering, should he arrive this summer.
Elsewhere, there are various other areas of the squad that must be upgraded, with a new right-back, centre-half and central midfielder arguably top of the list as we look to compete on multiple fronts for major honours.
That said, as we look ahead to our pre-season schedule next month, Fonseca will have to improve and develop the talent already at his disposal too, with a number of players in this Milan squad still capable of raising their respective levels and having a more prominent influence.
It remains to be seen if any of our key individuals depart this summer, be it for new experiences or for financial reasons, and so that will be another important test for Milan and Fonseca to ensure that we don’t ultimately end up weaker than last season.
Perhaps most important of all for Fonseca though will be to successfully implement his preferred style of play, to give this side an identity and way of playing that not only produces good football and consistency, but gives us direction and stability in terms of who we sign to fit our structure and system.
That makes players more easily interchangeable at senior level as we build a squad capable of competing at the top level, and it provides a more streamlined pathway for our youngsters, particularly now with the introduction of our U23s side.
It’s a lot for Fonseca to take on, but ultimately he will know what he’s signing up for, and hopefully it proves to be the ideal fit for both parties as he looks to guide Milan into a successful new era under his stewardship.