As speculation continues to link Samu Castillejo with a move away from AC Milan this summer, it’s the right time for the Rossoneri to move on and improve.
As per MilanNews, via the paper edition of La Gazzetta dello Sport, it’s suggested that Castillejo is attracting interest from Spain and that Milan management will potentially consider any offers that they receive.
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While the Spaniard has been with us since 2018 and has played his part in helping us return to the Champions League, he hasn’t done enough to warrant an ongoing spot in the side and question marks can fairly be raised over his ability to help us compete at the top level.
Work ethic never doubted, lack of quality an issue for Castillejo
It has been a rare scenario for Milan fans where we’ve been left disappointed by the 26-year-old attitude or approach to games, as week in and week out, he has shown full commitment and determination.
His energy to get about the pitch, to press the opposition higher up and to win the ball back by either sticking a foot in or tracking back have all been important qualities he has contributed in this Milan side.
However, the problem for Castillejo is that it’s not enough as we look to now compete against the top teams in Serie A for the Scudetto and against the best sides in Europe in the Champions League.
In 108 appearances for Milan, the winger has managed just 10 goals and 13 assists. That is nowhere near enough considering the role that he plays and how much emphasis we put on quality play down the flanks to break teams down.
That is ultimately what it comes down to with Castillejo. If Milan want to kick on and continue to develop to be amongst the top sides in Europe again, we need an upgrade in that department as the light-weight Spaniard hasn’t been able to produce enough quality in the final third.
In order to help with that process of identifying a suitable candidate and to go towards financing a move for one of our preferred targets, selling Castillejo will undoubtedly be a key factor.
Milan and Stefano Pioli already have Alexis Saelemaekers to do a similar job in that role, and so it’s about finding a right-sided winger capable of scoring goals and providing assists on a regular basis. Sadly, for all of Castillejo’s strengths, he hasn’t proven that he can offer those particular qualities over a significant period of time.