Rating AC Milan’s Summer Window PART 2: Players In

A week on from the summer transfer window, it’s look like AC Milan have one of the best transfer hauls in Italy and possibly Europe. The players have hit the ground running and Stefano Pioli has a good mount of depth to compete in multiple competitions.

Mattia Caldara returns to the first team after his loan spell with Spezia.

Chaka Traore, Lapo Nava, Jan-Carlo Simic and Davide Bartesaghi get the move up from the Primavera to the first team. The first two being official and the rest via the lists.

Here are our ratings for the first team transfers in:

Marco Sportiello - Atalanta - Free

A free transfer from Bergaamo, he has 199 games under his belt in Serie A and will be a great rotation option for Maignan. He is 31 so he can offer another 2-4 years with us which helps the club pad themselves. He takes over from Tatarusanu who was not good enough to the back up so this is a key move. Rating: B

Luka Romero - Lazio - Free

Romero came out of the blue but has lots of potential. A great bosman move as he is just 18 years old and has a fullseason with Lazio under his belt. He has shown great sparks in the pre-season and will make an impact when he gets the chance for Milan. A strong move for the future as he has great technical ability. Rating: B-

Ruben Loftus-Cheek - Chelsea FC - 16 million euros plus 4 million in bonuses

The first of the two moves from Chelsea, both gambles. RLC lost his place in London but is already tearing up Serie A with his physicality and his brilliant awareness. He is bursting into the box and should get some goals. He is looking to be a great move as Milan switches to a 4-3-3 and needs box-to-box players who can carry the ball. Rating: A-

Christian Pulisic - Chelsea FC - 20 million euros plus 3 million in bonuses

A gamble of a transfer but a brilliant PR move. American owners bring in American players to boost the club’s profile in the States. Record shirt sales followed and a growing following in North America. Pulisic has proved all the naysayers wrong with an explosive start as he scores 2 goals in the opening 3 games. He is holding down that right wing spot with competition from Chukwueze pending. The main concern will be him staying fit as he had a number of spells out with Chelsea. He adds key firepower and a new outlet for the attack. Rating: A-

Tijjani Reijnders - AZ Alkmaar - 20 million euros plus 5 million in bonuses

A player out of obscurity and already the fan favourite. Milan fans are suckers for a hard worker and Reijnders is doing it all covering tonnes of ground. He is doing brilliantly with his passing and really carrying the ball forward. He is likely to be the best purchase of the summer when we look back at the end of the season. He is fitting in well with his teammates and settling seamlessly to the new league. Rating: A+

Noah Okafor - RB Salzburg - 14 million euros

A really interesting move for the attack. He is definitely coming through for his versatility as he can play left wing, right wing and as a striker. He has Champions League pedigree and will be expected to grow into the role and make a real contribution when rotating. This is a big move for the future and there is lots of upside. Rating: B+

Samuel Chukwueze - Villarreal - 20 million euros plus 8 million in bonuses

The marquee signing of the summer. Chukwueze is an A-lister who is proven at the highest level in La Liga. He is a big game player and will be a revolutionary force for Milan when he finally gets his chance. The Nigeria international has the potential to be a generational talent and this is his big shot. He has not really played yet as he joined much later but has a few minutes in his legs thus far. Rating: A+

Yunus Musah - Valencia CF - 18 million euros plus 3 million in bonuses

This is an odd move. Milan needed a defensive midfielder but went for a box to box midfielder who will essentially be third behind Reijnders, Loftus-Cheek and Bennacer. If the plan is for him to train and move into the CDM role then this is brilliant but if not, then the resources might’ve been better spent on a different profile. Musah looks energetic and he will be a great player for the future but similar to Romero will not likely make much of an impact this season. Rating: C

Marco Pellegrino - Platense - 3 million euros plus 2 million in bonuses

This was an optimistic transfer because unless Pellegrino can hit the ground running and perform at a high level, then he is not the defender to replace Gabbia. Pellegrino will have a big upside as the scouting team at Milan are great but the defense is weaker than last season and he does not inspire confidence as Gabbia knew Pioli’s system and he has to learn it after having a break out six months earlier in the year. Rating: C

Luka Jovic - Fiorentina - Permanent deal on a one year contract with an option to extend

The deadline day move! Jovic is a complicated player, he broke out at Eintracht Frankfurt and put up wild numbers then moved to Real Madrid. He flopped in Spain with poor numbers and injuries before moving to Fiorentina. He had a decent bounce back in Italy as he put up his best numbers since 2018/19 with 13 goals and 5 assists. He is joining at an opportune moment as he knows the league and is in decent form, if he can deliver he is a great pick up and Milan can extend him as necessary. Rating: C

OVERALL RATING

Ten moves in and 3 of those are starters. This was a big window for the new Rossoneri under RedBird Capital. The new direction under Furlani, Moncada and D’Ottavio showed their approach to players and negotiations. The move transforms the team to look more like a Premier League side with physicality, pace and endurance being the key factors. Milan will play a high press and attacking game going forward. It is still early but this could be the best window in the past two decades. Rating: A-