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Serie A behemoths AC Milan have been in decline and had yet another season to forget. The depleted Milanese outfit finished a lowly 10th in the league last season and missed out on Europe for the second season running.
The club are indeed stuck in a bad situation and have umpteen issues to solve before they reach the heights of yore. One of the most glaring issues currently gnawing at the Rossoneri is that of their defence.
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Ever since Thiago Silva departed for Paris St.Germain, the Milan rearguard has been poriferous, leaking goals like never seen before. This fragility at the back has cost them big time over the past few seasons and they need to make reinforcements as fast as possible.
Here are the 5 men who can help AC Milan tighten up their rearguard –
Aymen Abdennour
The foundations of AS Monaco’s surge to the quarter-finals of the Champions League last season was built on their obdurate defence and Tunisia international Aymen Abdennour was integral to it. A fantastic season with the Principality club has garnered him the attention of some top scouts of Europe and Milan too, must write his name in their shopping list for the summer.
The 25-year old can bring back guile and tenacity to the Milan backline and can bully the attackers with his 6’2” stature. Abdennour combines elegance with a startling toughness and can provide an excellent base to the defence. The Monaco centre-back can also be an upgrade to the error-prone and also overly aggressive Phillippe Mexes.
Monaco may, however, command a hefty fee if they are to let go of their prized asset.
Joao Miranda
The Brazilian has been a key member of the Atletico Madrid squad that led one of the meanest defences in Europe and also played a big part in their La Liga success in the 2013/14 season. Miranda has earned a reputation of being one of the toughest and uncompromising defenders around and can be a really great addition to AC Milan.
A player of unusual of subtlety, Miranda is adept at bringing the ball out of defence with consummate ease and is also dominant in the air. His calm and commanding presence would make him indispensable to the Rossoneri.
With a transfer fee purported to stand at £24 million, Milan would be forced into thinking twice before lining up a bid, but considering the long-term benefits that Miranda brings, despite his age, he is worth the transfer fee.
Angelo Ogbonna
Ogbonna and AC Milan have been linked previously and now again, and considering his tricky situation at Juventus, Milan should revive their interest in the talented defender.
Ever since the Italian joined the Old Lady from Torino, he’s never been able to settle and the presence of the likes of Giorgio Chiellini, Andrea Barzagli and Leonardo Bonucci has only served to lower his position in the pecking order. Moreover, the imminent return of Daniele Rugani from Empoli will further plummet his chances in Turin.
The only way in sight to save his career is by moving to another club and Milan appear to be the most suitable at the moment. The club is in desperate need of some top-drawer players and they may get that in Ogbonna. Also, the prospect of getting more playing time here may just add more fuel to the fire.
Ogbonna is a great talent wasted on the bench but at Milan, he can exploit it to the fullest and help shore up Milan’s defence.
Joel Veltman
A product of the famed Ajax academy, Joel Veltman is an established defender in the Eredivisie and can bring a lot of experience to the squad, having played in the Champions League and Europa League several times with Ajax.
Although the capital club were knocked out in the group stages of the Champions League last season, Veltman’s performances, in particular, were eye-catching. Drawn against top guns such as Barcelona and PSG, the 23-year-old came up against the likes of Messi and Ibrahimovic and put up an admirable show.
He made 3.2 tackles and 2.6 interceptions per game in the Champions League and when toppled into Europa League, the figures soared to 3.7 and a staggering 5.7 respectively.
The numbers suggest he is a dominant tackler and is quick off the mark, something that Milan centre-backs have been severely lacking in. Also considering their illustrious history of successful Dutch signings, Milan may prefer adding another one to the conveyor belt.
Jetro Willems
Left-back seems to be another area that Milan would like to give a facelift to. Mattia De Sciglio may be young and promising but his performances last season suggest otherwise.
He lacked the composure and quality necessary in defence and looked more like a bull in a china shop. Jetro Willems of PSV Eindhoven can provide the necessary tools to help the defence regain its lost sheen.
The young gun of the Netherlands team has grown from stength to strength over the years and has made the left-back position his own at just 21-years of age. Willems was pivotal to Eindhoven’s league success this year and also had good offensive contributions with 13 assists. His addition would bring raw pace down the flanks and his penchant to drift forward can add to the threat going forward.
Just like Veltman, Willems too, may be earmarked as a possible signing for the summer considering his Dutch roots.
