Milan, how to improve the best defence in Europe? Gila a real opportunity, all the names on the list

Numerically speaking, that is. In terms of players and available resources, as things stand, manager Allegri can only count on the three who started in the derby against Inter: De Winter, Tomori and Pavlovic.

In fact, Matteo Gabbia is recovering from surgery for an inguinal hernia discovered in recent days and will be sidelined at least until the match following the international break.

Odogu, on the other hand, has only played a total of 15 minutes between Verona in the league (4) and Lecce in the Coppa Italia (11). His young age means he needs to follow a specific development path and, in all likelihood, he will rarely be used in this final rush, before being sent out on loan next season.

But even if the numbers are easy to count, Allegri has still managed to make his mark and impose his vision on the defence: the most striking statistic is how far removed they are from last season under Paulo Fonseca and then Sergio Conceicao, because Milan currently have the best defence in Europe.

Thanks to Maignan's latest clean sheets against Cremonese and Inter, the Rossoneri have conceded just 20 goals in 28 league games, making them the best defence in Serie A, ahead of Roma and Como on 21. But this statistic does not only apply to the Italian league, as Milan have the best defence in the five major European leagues.

Below is the ranking.

• Milan: 20
• Lens: 21
• Arsenal: 22
• Real Madrid: 23
• Bayern Munich: 24

This statistic is not surprising, given that Allegri has always built his victories on a compact and balanced defence: solidity, focus and awareness of danger are the key elements of Allegri's defensive strategy.

In reality, however, the Livorno-born coach was expecting reinforcements for his back line in January, and next summer could be the right time to bring in a new centre-back for Milan.

To improve a defence that is already among the best in Europe, the Via Aldo Rossi offices are still thinking about Mario Gila, whose contract with Lazio expires in 2027. The Biancocelesti centre-back is still at the top of sporting director Igli Tare's wish list: currently, there are no signs of a possible renewal with the capital club, and the Rossoneri can take advantage of this situation with an offer to be delivered to Lotito during the next summer transfer window.

The possibility of losing the player on a free transfer is a factor to consider, and at the right price, the Biancocelesti president may actually consider a sale: the right figure could be around €15-20 million, considering that Real Madrid still owns 50% of the future resale value of the Spanish defender born in 2000.

Gila, therefore, is a name that everyone in the Rossoneri management and technical staff agrees on, but he is not the only player being scouted and monitored by Milan.

Gatti from Juventus (valued at around €25 million) remains a candidate, as do Dragusin from Tottenham, Aké from Manchester City and Gomez from Liverpool.

Different players, different experiences, different characteristics, but all united by their presence on the Rossoneri's list for the defence from June onwards. A defence that is now the best in Europe, but which needs - in the future - important reinforcements to continue to do so well in Italy and return to competitiveness in Europe, in the event of qualification for the next edition of the Champions League.

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