While Sottil might not have been used much so far, he is useful for Milan in various ways. Firstly on a technical-tactical level because he can play so many roles (even full-back in the Lecce win) while he is a homegrown player, making him useful for the UEFA and Serie A squad lists.

 

Milan have an option to buy set at €10m, which can be transformed into an almost equal swap with Yacine Adli, on loan at Fiorentina with a €10.5m option, even if his situation needs to be monitored.

 

Tammy Abraham

There is no doubt about who has gained between Roma and Milan in the loan exchange with Alexis Saelemaekers. The Englishman is continuing his form from the last two seasons, which is inconsistency, and it is no coincidence that Milan rushed to sign Santiago Gimenez in January.

 

Abraham has eight goals overall in all competitions, one very important in the final of the Supercoppa Italiana. But it will hardly be enough, unless the new coach is an admirer.

 

 

Brought in thanks to Jorge Mendes on the last day of the winter mercato, he has convinced very little, quickly becoming one of the faces of Milan’s collapse in recent months. Even Sergio Conceiçao, undeniably his admirer, initially left him on the bench in the last two games.

 

There is no fixed price with Chelsea for a loan with option or obligation, but the Blues would have to sell the Portuguese for €40m to avoid a capital loss in the summer. It is an amount that Milan will not spend, especially given his performance on the pitch and the probable farewell of Conceiçao.

Liverpool are expected to make multiple signings in the summer transfer window.

 

The Reds only brought in Federico Chiesa last summer. That seemed like a very risky decision at the time, but Arne Slot has worked wonders and is on the verge of winning the Premier League title.

 

However, Liverpool will need new additions this summer, and everyone expects Slot to strengthen his attack before the start of next season.

 

There has been some speculation about AC Milan star Rafael Leao, but Ben Jacobs has claimed that there’s nothing going on between the Portugal international and Liverpool.

 

However, the Reds are likely to sign an out-and-out centre-forward, and a Brazilian from the Premier League is on their list of targets.

 

Liverpool are more likely to sign Joao Pedro

Brighton star Joao Pedro is having a very impressive season.

 

The Brazil international has scored eight goals and provided seven assists in all competitions this season, and he has been attracting a ton of interest from other clubs.

 

The 23-year-old has all the qualities to play for a bigger club than Brighton, and it’s only a matter of time before he leaves the Seagulls.

 

Jacobs has played down suggestions that Liverpool could sign Leao and the journalist has claimed that the Reds are more likely to sign Pedro instead.

 

He told GiveMeSport: “Leao has never really pushed to leave Milan, and it makes it very difficult. My intel is there’s nothing advanced between Leao and Liverpool.

 

“And if they are to move for a number nine, then it’s perhaps more likely that they will explore a more proven Premier League player first, with Joao Pedro, for example, being one of the names on their list.”

 

Photo by Mike Hewitt/Getty Images

Photo by Mike Hewitt/Getty Images

How much money are Brighton demanding for Joao Pedro?

Brighton are never an easy club to sign players from.

 

Liverpool got a deal over the line for Alexis Mac Allister, but they failed in their pursuit of Moises Caicedo, who was sold in the end for a British record transfer fee.

 

The Seagulls will continue to demand a fortune for their star players, and TBR Football revealed that Brighton want close to £100 million for Pedro.

 

We can confirm Liverpool’s interest in the Brazilian, while Chelsea, Newcastle United, Bayern Munich and Paris Saint-Germain are all keeping tabs on Pedro too.

 

It remains to be seen which club, if any, will pay that much money this summer.

 

 

 

Warren Bondo only joined AC Milan in February, but he already feels very welcomed into the club, due to existing relationships and an unlikely bond.

 

A move for Bondo always felt possible, considering his roots, the previous interest and the connection between Monza and Milan. However, for the move to happen as and when it did, it was certainly a shock.

 

As a result of Ismael Bennacer’s forced move, the Frenchman arrived in the winter mercato as a replacement, though he spent his first few weeks sidelined through injury. Nevertheless, he made his first start this weekend and proved his worth, even if he did not do anything major.

 

Joining a club like the Rossoneri has the potential to be difficult, considering his age and his relative unknownness in the game. However, he admitted that he has been well supported internally, in an interview with Footmercato.net, and Milan News have relayed his words.

 

How is your integration in the club going? What role have the French players had in the team?

 

“They made me feel welcome. Youssouf [Fofana], Rafael [Leão], who speaks very good French… As for Rafael, you should know that I knew him well thanks to my former teammate at Monza, Dany Mota, who also speaks French. He is a friend of his and I was always with him. So there was a bond between us and Rafael was happy with my arrival.

 

“With the French it was natural. In the canteen I sat directly next to Youssouf, Mike, Théo… They made it easier for me to integrate and every day I observe their working methods. They are champions.”

 

AC Milan, by the skin of their teeth, managed to overturn a two-goal deficit against Lecce last night, but the papers have not held back on their ratings, despite the end result.

 

Once again, Milan are in a period of peril, and there is seemingly no escaping it. In fact, despite getting three points, you could argue that the team are now deeper into the void, given all the game did was frustrate, and further frustrate fans.

 

The Rossoneri were poor again, and then players decided to show up and get a result, a needed reaction to a completely avoidable situation – a familiar story, once again.

 

Ratings from the newspapers

Starting with this morning’s edition of Gazzetta dello Sport, the paper has given ratings to each of the players and the head coach Sergio Conceicao, who was awarded a six out of 10, whilst the overall performance was dubbed a 6.5.

 

Christian Pulisic stands out as the best performer with a 7.5 after his late brace, whilst Matteo Gabbia, whose agent recently criticised the Rossoneri for their management of his employer, scored a 5 – certainly not a good time for that gam, whilst Malick Thiaw was also given a five.

 

Marco Sportiello, Warren Bondo, Alex Jimenez, Yunus Musah and Santiago Gimenez did not do much better, each earning a score of 5.5 from the game, whilst Joao Felix and Kyle Walker both earned sixes.

 

Theo Hernandez, Tijjani Reijnders – even after his mistake, and Tammy Abraham scored 6.5s, whilst Rafael Leao followed behind Pulisic and was given a score of 7 after coming on at half-time.

 

Corriere dello Sport did not agree with Gazzetta though, instead giving Thiaw the worst rating of the game with a five, though Jimenez also was scored a 5 – Gabbia was instead given 5.5, not really a shoutable margin.

 

Pulisic’s score was elevated to an eight, with him being named as the best player, not just for the Diavolo, but in the game as a whole.

 

 

AC Milan produced a stunning comeback at the Stadio Via del Mare against Lecce, coming from two goals down in the second half to eventually win 3-2.

 

Milan found themselves two goals down going into the final 30 minutes, with Nikola Krstovic scoring a brace including a first goal that was an absolute rocket of a shot.

 

Yet, the Rossoneri roared back when they seemed floored. Firstly Joao Felix’s shot was diverted in via an own-goal, then Christian Pulisic scored from the penalty spot and Pulisic’s volley capped the comeback inside the final 15 minutes.

 

It is a result that doesn’t even begin to tell the story of another chaotic game after a chaotic week, yet it will at least temporarily provide some respite after what looked like being another embarrassing defeat.

 

Amid talk of him being under pressure, Sergio Conceicao made some big changes to the starting line-up. Kyle Walker came back into the side, Warren Bondo got a first start in midfield and Alex Jimenez returned on the wing. Marco Sportiello took the place of the suspended Mike Maignan, too.

 

It took less than one minute for Milan to cut Lecce open and score, with Christian Pulisic sending Theo Hernandez away down the left side of the box and Santiago Gimenez finishing from close range. However, after a VAR review the goal was chalked off for offside, with the Mexican having strayed making his run.

 

Naturally, given the way that Milan’s season has gone this season, they would be picking the ball out of their own net six minutes later. A sloppy Tijjani Reijnders pass behind Jimenez led to a counter which Krstovic finished with a rocket of a shot from 20 yards out.

 

As flare smoke shrouded the Stadio Via del Mare Milan set about looking for an equaliser, and Yunus Musah tested Falcone with a powerful effort from the edge of the area that wasn’t quite far enough in the corner.

 

Low crosses continued to cause danger from Milan, and Gimenez managed to just about get on the end of another cut-back from Theo though the ball ricocheted around and in the end went over and wide from a few yards out. Moments later, Bondo tried his luck from 18 yards though Falcone saved easily.

 

 

In almost comical circumstances, Milan scored yet another offside goal. A brilliant free-kick routine which Theo took was buried at the near post by Matteo Gabbia, yet again VAR intervened to chalk it off as the centre-back had strayed too early.

 

The frantic nature of the game continued and so did Milan’s precarious attempts to defend. Krstovic was inches away from double his tally and Lecce’s lead as he fired from a narrow angle with Sportiello on the floor, yet hit the outside of the post.

 

The pressure from the home side continued as they made mistake after mistake in possession. After surrendering the ball in their own half, Krstovic should have had an assist when squaring to Pierotti on the right side of the box, yet the winger’s shot was wildly off target.

 

In the few minutes leading up to the half-time break Gimenez twice came close to adding to his goal tally. Firstly Falcone stopped a header from the striker that was pretty much straight at him, then he was happy to see the ball roll wide of the near post after Musah’s low cross was turned goal-wards.

 

Conceicao cannot have liked what he saw with his team heading for a fourth straight league defeat and he chose to make a change at the break: Rafael Leao came on, with Jimenez off.

 

The first big chance of the second half went to Milan and it was Gimenez’s turn to hit the woodwork. A cross came in from Theo and was never really cleared, then he managed to squeeze out a low shot from almost on the floor from close range that hit the post.

 

Milan continued to dominate the possession and the chances, and should have levelled when Leao’s in-swinging cross met the head of Musah who could not direct it anywhere near goal despite being about six yards out.

 

Just before the hour mark, the sucker punch came to effectively knock Milan out of the game. Once again Milan were caught out in transition and once again it was Krstovic who did the damage, sweeping home a cut-back from Guilbert with Sportiello motionless.

 

Two more changes were made by Conceicao just after the second goal went in: Bondo and Gimenez came off, with Joao Felix and Tammy Abraham coming on.

 

 

However, the Rossoneri’s hopes were rekindled in the 68th minute and through a touch of good fortune. Leao burst down the left and pulled back a cross to near the penalty spot, with Joao Felix’s first-time shot turned into the back of his own goal by Gallo.

 

Then, just three minutes later, Milan were handed the chance to level things from the penalty spot. A very clumsy challenge from Gallo inside the box saw the American take a tumble while looking to get away down the right side and he took on the responsibility from 12 yards, despatching it emphatically and leaving Falcone with no chance.

 

With 10 minutes left on the clock, the comeback was complete. The creator of the goal was Leao as he against marauded down the left and cut inside to deliver a teasing cross all the way to the far post, where Pulisic was on hand to get his second of the night and make it 3-2 in favour of the Rossoneri.

 

 

AC Milan are likely to be looking for a new head coach in the summer, and Roberto De Zerbi’s name has reportedly resurfaced as an option.

 

According to Calciomercato.com, Sergio Conceicao knows he has little, if any, hope of remaining at Milan beyond the end of this season, so he has 11 games to end on a high. The idea of the Milan directors is to get to the end of the season with the former Porto man on the bench, then change again.

 

With Milan out of the Champions League and in ninth place, the only goal left is to win the Coppa Italia. The Rossoneri will have a two-legged derby against Inter in the semi-finals which represents the last way to at least partially save a mediocre season from all points of view.

 

Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Geoffrey Moncada hope that at least in those two games the team can have a reaction of pride, convinced that the real Milan is not what has been seen in the disastrous past few weeks.

 

Who might replace Conceicao? A name that has returned ‘loudly’ is De Zerbi. The Brescia-born coach is doing very well at Marseille, who are currently second in the Ligue 1 standings, but could change clubs again at the end of the season after leaving Brighton last summer.

 

The call from the Rossoneri would not leave him indifferent given his attachment and the fact he was in the youth sector. Milan admire him because he has shown he can handle pressure and has as a renowned ability to make his teams play well.

 

The directors are aware that Milan next season must rekindle enthusiasm and excitement, to entertain the fans and to make them dream. Winning is the priority, but the toxic atmosphere could heal quicker with a figure like RDZ on the bench.