Transfer Watch: Looking at the Top Rumours for Milan in January

AC Milan current sit at a crossroads with a make-or-break couple of weeks ahead until we get to the January transfer window as a result of the numerous injuries. Here is a look at the best of the rumours:

Eric Bailly - Loan ($30 million)

CB - Manchester United

Eric Bailly has had a difficult start to the 2018/19 season having only played 19 minutes of Premier League football in a struggling United squad. Bailly arrived in Manchester for 30 million pounds back in 2016 and has put it solid displays over the past two seasons guiding the Red Devils to a Europa League victory in his debut season. He was sidelined for a while with an ankle injury last year but has not fallen out of favour with Jose Mourinho leaving him frustrated. Bailly has incredible potential to be a strong CB and for the time being would be a great addition to the Milanese CB department as a depth player to compensate for the losses of Mattia Caldara and Mateo Musacchio. As a loan deal, this works perfectly for us as we are in dire need. The Ivory Coast international is familiar with Franck Kessie thus has support to integrate into the team.

Leandro Paredes - Purchase ($30 million)

CM - Zenit St Petersburg

Paredes was a top prospect when at AS Roma and it was a shock when he left the Roman outfit for Zenit S.t Peterburg at the start of last season. Paredes has been on Milan’s radar for at least the past three years but a move has always been evasive. Paredes is having a solid 2018/19 season commanding the centre of the park and acting as the prime distributor of the ball. His fluidity in passing allows Zenit to counter quick and hold possession in the midfield - a trait that Milan severely lack. Paredes can be a key component to balancing out a midfield 3 or a 4 with a good transition from defense to attack. Most importantly Paredes will not need significant time to adapt to Serie A as he has good experience in the league with Chievo, Empoli and Roma.

Lucas Paqueta - Purchase ($35 million)

CM/CAM - Flamengo

The Paqueta deal seems to have been completed by Milan already. Paqueta is being compared to the likes of Neymar and Kaka but this kind of expectation tends to do more harm than good. Paqueta simply seems to be a creative midfielder that Milan have lacked for years now through our over-reliance on Giacomo Bonaventura. Paqueta has 10 goals and 2 assists in the current season and if he can contribute the same in a single season at Milan he will be playing a key role in taking the burden off the strikers. He is a strong dribbler and is equally good contributing in defense which will be important to Gattuso’s style of play. One obscure area where Paqueta can support Milan is in winning free kicks in dangerous areas; it is quite noticeable that Milan are lacking set piece opportunities and he could be the player to win these for the squad.

Rodrigo de Paul - Loan with Obligation ($20 million)

CAM/LW - Udinese

De Paul is having an explosive season scoring 5 goals and racking up 3 assists in only 12 rounds of football. He has previously never scored more than 4 goals in a single season. De Paul has a distinctive style of play based on quick passing and darting runs into the box. De Paul seems to be a high quality version of Fabio Borini in that he is versatile across attacking positions and could slot in and be a key addition off the bench. More importantly De Paul has proven to be a game winner and his impact has won Udinese key points this season and he has been awarded multiple Man of the Match awards as a result. Milan need some players who can inject individual brilliance especially on the left side of the attack where Calhangolu has had a rough start and Samu Castillejo has not hit his stride. De Paul could ease the pressure of Suso and make Milan more of a threat going forward.

Zlatan Ibrahimovic - Free Transfer ($0)

ST - LA Galaxy

This is a bitter sweet one. Zlatan is a legend and one hell of a striker. However Milan do currently possess an experienced striker in Gonzalo Higuain and an in-need of experience Patrick Cutrone. The team dynamics will be difficult if Zlatan were to arrive as it is not clear if he would replace Higuain or play alongside him. He is a game changer and a terrifying presence on the pitch hence it would be amazing to have him back at Milan. He has the potential to have an immediate impact and he could inspire the team as the only player who won a Scudetto with Milan. But the major issue from my perspective is the impact this will have on the growth of Cutrone. Cutrone had 15 goals in all competitions last season, currently he has 5 goals in all competitions and is on track for another season in the double digits. Should we prioritise short term wins in the face of long term projects?