Speculation continues to link AC Milan with a move for Atalanta forward Josip Ilicic, and it’s a move that would arguably make a lot of sense.
The Rossoneri must still address the lack of creativity in the current side, with Hakan Calhanoglu’s exit leaving a void in the final third.
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While the Turkish playmaker had his critics, there is no doubt that he still played a crucial role for us in attack, and while the return of Brahim Diaz and his promotion to become a leading figure for us this season addresses it to an extent, more is needed particularly given our return to the Champions League this season.
Milan need more experience and proven quality to complement some of the younger players in the squad, while there could yet be movement in the opposite direction as we consider offloading certain individuals who are perhaps not reaching the levels required.
Ilicic a target for Milan, a sensible option to address attacking flaws
As per La Gazzetta dello Sport, Ilicic is a top target for Milan this summer, and the Slovenian ace would undoubtedly bring a lot of qualities to the side if he were to join us.
Albeit he is now 33 years of age which makes him more of a short-term solution, Ilicic has contributed 56 goals and 39 assists in 149 appearances for Atalanta since joining the club.
He has proven his quality at Fiorentina and Palermo previously too, while he has gained Champions League experience in recent years as part of the success that Atalanta have enjoyed.
In turn, he begins to tick a lot of the right boxes, and that’s before we move on to his versatility to be able to play both on the right wing and through the middle.
For all of Samu Castillejo’s hard work and commitment, it simply isn’t enough. The Spaniard hasn’t offered enough quality in an attacking sense, and coupled with the limitations to Alexis Saelemaekers’ games going forward too, it’s an area that Milan must improve in.
That would be the case if Ilicic were to arrive at San Siro this summer, as he has the experience, proven track record and pedigree to be able to handle the pressure and bring some magic to our attacking play, be it part of our build-up work or producing a moment of individual class, while taking pressure off others too.
If Milan want to make a more immediate impact both in terms of our ambitions to contend for the Serie A title this season and be competitive in Europe, Ilicic is the type of signing, similar to Olivier Giroud, that will help us achieve that.