Which Expiring Contracts Should Milan Look To Renew Before The Summer

AC Milan have 5 expiring contracts this summer constituting of $9.9 million in wages per year, should Milan consider keeping any of them. Here's a look at the the players facing free exits:

Riccardo Montolivo - CM - 34 - $2.5 million p.a.

Absolute dead weight. Montolivo has unequivocally been one of the worst players to ever wear the Rossoneri shirt and even more embarrassingly don the Captain’s armband. He collects a hefty salary and this needs to be shed as soon as possible. Montolivo has yet to feature for Milan in 2018/19 especially following reports of fallout between him and Gennaro Gattuso early in the season. He has been dropped from the squad altogether on a number of occasions. He seems destined to leave and we should be glad to be rid of him.

Verdict: Out.

Andrea Bertolacci - CM - 28 - $2 million p.a.

Another poor piece of business in the latter days of Galliani and Berlusconi, Bertolacci joined Milan off a fantastic season with Genoa four seasons ago. Milan paid a hefty $22.8 million to AS Roma to acquire him but he struggled to leave a mark from his first game on and has had very little impact and ever scarcer game time for Milan over his time at the club. This season Bertolacci started twice and came off the bench twice for Milan in the Europa League playing a measly 139 minutes of football whilst earning about $2 million per year. He adds little value to the midfield and thus should be allowed to leave.

Verdict: Out.

Jose Mauri - CM - 22 - $1.4 million p.a.

Jose Mauri is aother player who has not quite lived up to expectation at Milan since joining four seasons ago. Milan acquired Mauri on a bosman transfer after he had a breakout season with Parma playing as a box-to-box midfielder alongside Lodi, Gobbi and Varela. Mauri made the step up but struggled to be given the opportunity to play regularly by the Milan coaches across his time, and received some valuable game time whilst on loan at Empoli in his second season as a Rossoneri player. This season Mauri has three starts and four games off the bench and has had mixed performances. He notably created space for Suso’s goal against Bologna getting his first assist in a Milan jersey. His upside is that he is only 22 years old and could be a squad player going forward, providing the necessary cover when required and providing depth in the midfield. He could adopt a similar role to that of Ambrosini between 1996 and 2006 before becoming a key fixture once experienced.

Verdict: Renew with reduced/equal wage. Squad Player.

Cristian Zapata - CB - 32 - $1.7 million p.a.

Zapata has been an on and off kind of player for Milan over his six seasons at the club. His arrival from Villareal was a significant improvement for Milan at CB at the time, but he has since been replaced and struggled to compete with the likes of Musacchio, Bonucci, Paletta, Alex, Rami and Mexes. Zapata has played in times of need, the Coppa Italia and off the bench for majority of his career at Milan. Surprisingly Zapata has matured over the years and has been rock solid when called upon this season, he and Abate partnered at CB to give Milan it’s first string of clean sheets this season. He can be a valuable depth player going forward but might also have reservations about staying as there has been some speculation on distance between Milan’s offered contract and Zapata’s demands.

Verdict: Allow to leave amicably. Use Rodriguez as depth CB. Look for New LB.

Ignazio Abate - RB - 32 - $2.3 million p.a.

Abate, Milan’s War Horse. The only remaining player from the Scudetto winning season of 2010-11. Abate is the current vice-Captain of the squad and the only true veteran the squad has. He embodies the Milan spirit and despite he’s inconsistent performances over the years he has matured into a dependable depth player and a good character for the locker room. Over the course of the season, he has picked up 17 starts and 5 appearances off the bench and was a great replacement for both Calabria and Musacchio at RB and CB. Abate is an important member of the group and could be a key component of the team for a few more seasons.

Verdict: 2-year extension. Wage cut. Experienced Depth Player.