A New, Young AC Milan

AC Milan’s midfield is on the verge of experiencing a shift. An era has come to an end at the famous club, where the old guard are being forced to make way for fresh blood. Milan would have squeezed more juice out of their retiring faithful had there been any life left in those aging limbs. But the old guard have run their course.

Massimo Ambrosini, Alessandro Nesta, Clarence Seedorf and Andrea Pirlo are four top guns who are headed for the exit. Marek Jankulovski, Mark Van Bommel and Fillipo Inzaghi could also be part of the list of departures. Along with these warhorses, the distasteful and annoying tag of Milan being a ‘retirement home’ will be waved goodbye.

This renaissance comes four years later than it should have. Carlo Ancelloti’s side lifted the Champions League in Athens, but that side was well past it’s prime, with only one man leading the charge. Many consider Milan’s triumph as a miracle, a near supernatural event. Others lay it down to one man’s sheer brilliance. Yes, the man in question here is Kaka. The possible reason for Milan’s seventh European Cup is one of the two above mentioned reasons. But with other clubs growing in stature, Silvio Berlusconi had to open his wallet and fill in the checkbook. It’s been four years and he is finally getting down to it.

Many youngsters have walked into Milanello this season. The likes of Didac Vila, Urby Emanuelson and Kevin-Prince Boateng are valuable acquisitions. Robinho is far from hanging-up his boots too. There is a clear shift in power and age within this Milan team with Thiago Silva, Alexander Pato, Ignazio Abate and Boateng becoming key cogs in the side. The crisis at full back has tormented the directors at Via Turati for a few seasons now, however Max Allegri has halved their problems by converting Ignazio Abate into one of Europe’s finest and most consistent right backs. The Italian’s consistency has quickly made him a fan favorite and looks likely to be Milan’s starting right back for several seasons to come. His crossing and positional sense have greatly improved over the season, and the fact that he has not heard from Cesare Prandelli is shocking.

Moving into the centre of defense, AC Milan can boast of possessing the best centre back in the world. No, I’m not referring to Alessandro Nesta. This tag rightfully belongs to Thiago Silva, aged 27. Max Allegri has recently pinpointed Silva to being the cornerstone of Milan’s success this season. Silva is fast, physical and tactical. He is even one of the best attacking centre backs in Europe. His rise to the top is not surprising, the pace at which he has risen surely is. No one expected him to develop at this pace and the only people complaining are working for Massimo Moratti. 

Staying in defence, Didac Vila was snapped from Espanyol in the winter. Voices coming out of the training ground suggest he is still very raw and therefore has not featured for Milan this season. But if the rumor mill is to be believed, he is the heir apparent to Joan Capdevilla to the Spanish national side. The rest is left to the imagination. AC Milan were never going to have another young central defender pairing up with Silva. Philippe Mexes has allegedly signed a four year contract with Milan. He is 29. Old? Really? The French media and players in Marseille have all but confirmed Milan’s signing of Taye Taiwo. The Nigerian has been on the radar of many top clubs for a few years now. He is all of 26.

Among the defenders returning from loan, Bruno Montelongo’s future is in the balance. A quick, strong right back from Uruguay, Montelongo never quite cut it at Milan and was shipped to Bologna in the January. With several illustrious clubs vying for his signature, retaining him will be key. And of course, Davide Astori is a big bargaining chip. Undoubtedly talented and an important piece of Cagliari’s defense over the last two campaigns, Milan could use him as leverage to sign some of Allegri’s targets. This however would be an unfortunate loss for Milan. An honorable mention must go to Rodrigo Ely who is supposed to have trained with the senior squad for 10 days after having impressed with the U-20 team. Much to come from the Brazilian, it seems.

Moving into the midfield, Milan’s talent begins to shine brighter. Let’s start with the hard men. Mathieu Flamini has kicked the ball more often under Allegri and he is beginning to find his old form. If he learns the meaning of the word ‘discipline’, he can be a powerful engine that powers Milan’s midfield for years to come. It might be hard to believe but he is only 27 years of age. Kevin Prince Boateng is one of the most under-rated midfielders in Europe. His technical ability is superb and his movement off the ball is exquisite. The goals he scored this season are down to his energetic bursts into the box while the forwards held onto the ball on the sidelines. Along with technical skills, the Ghanaian is strong and powerful; just the sort of midfielder Allegri loves to build his midfield around. Age, 24.

With a massive exodus taking place in midfield, replacements are expected to be of the highest quality. Paolo Henrique ‘Ganso’ is nearly a Rossoneri. With a few strokes of a pen on his contract, the much coveted ‘trequartista’ will soon be taking over from Boateng in the hole. All of 21, the youngster is rated as the next best thing to come out of Brazil. Add to the fact that there is a strong Brazilian contingent at Milan, Ganso will be expected to fit in right away and weave his magic. Milan could finally fill the gap left behind by Kaka.

Urby Emanuelson’s praises have been sung for a long time. He is a Dutchman, technically gifted with an abundance of pace. Such an option coming off the bench is hugely influential for the depth of a squad. Having said that, one can imagine a more prominent role for the youngster in the coming years. He can play anywhere down the left. But given his quality, he is much more than a handyman.

AC Milan’s Primavera also offers a wide variety of very promising talent. Alexander Merkel demonstrated that he is worthy of a future at this club. His performances as a central midfielder have not gone unnoticed. After a failed experiment as a trequartista, Merkel’s best comes out when employed as a box to box midfielder. However his collapse at White Hart Lane could have burst his bubble. Many believe Rodney Strasser to be Ambrosini v2. A destroyer who sits deep and shields the defense, Strasser is growing in confidence and experience with the passing of every season. He is a fringe player at the moment and may never become a key component of Milan’s future, but he could be an important back up when the squad is stretched.

There are several names which pop up everyday as Milan continue to restructure their side. Micheal Essien, Marko Marin and Andrea Lazzari are three names that top Milan’s wishlist, with Essien being spotted with a Milan director in a restaurant recently.

But this is speculation and the vanity of rumor mongrels. Honorable mentions must go out to some of the stars of the Primavera. Simone Calvano and Simone Verdi; two incredibly gifted wingers, Marco Fossati and Edmund Hotter; two highly rated emerging midfielders. These four are being protected and nurtured with immense care. Remember the names.

Forwards then. Alexander Pato. Enough said. Well, not really. The boy is a phenomenon, there is no denying that. A goal scorer, lightening quick and strong; Pato is the future of AC Milan’s attack. He can lead this team’s strike force for years and years to come. However, his injuries hamper his development and prevent him from realizing the dream. That being said, its a matter of when, not if Pato becomes the world’s best forward.

Zlatan Ibrahimovic is an unparalleled striker. Mercurial and a winner, the big Swede clearly has another 4-5 years in him. Robinho and Antonio Cassano will play a less significant role in the club. 27 and 29 respectively, both these forwards have a plethora of experience that they bring to the table. These four names already create a mesmerising attack, at-least on paper. True, they have not truly shredded opposing defenses. But it is their very first season together and they will return in August, bigger and better. Although Cassano should not get any bigger.

Coming up the ranks is a remarkably rated centre forward, Giacomo Beretta. Christian Vieri’s heir apparent, Beretta is prolific, strong and everything Milan look for in a centre forward. Slovenian striker Uros Palibrk adds to a long list of highly talented forwards at the club. Wait, there is more. Alberto Paloschi and Dominic Adiyah are Milan players too!

Its clear that Milan are a hot bed of young talent. The Milan destiny and dynasty looks quite safe and much work is being done behind the scenes to foster a healthy, potentially explosive side for years to come. The Financial Fair Play system is going to have a telling effect on many clubs in Europe. Milan could be one of them. But Berlusconi’s men don’t snap up world class potential at the price of peanuts by chance. The likes of Ariedo Braida and Adriano Galliani have sustained this long in the business by building fantastic Milan sides over the last couple of decades. Fortunately, they are in no mood to stop.

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