Milan one week before the start: what is working and what is not, between the pitch and the transfer market

Amorim's Milan are a completely different creature from Allegri's, and that has been obvious since their first games of the season. The team have so far picked up two draws, against Celtic and Inter, and a bad defeat, against Chelsea, but they are trying to dictate the game, playing openly and pressing high. The former Sporting manager's 3-4-2-1 already offers a glimpse of a clearly defined and precise footballing idea, with Milan looking to dominate matches rather than suffer them, as happened last year. The forwards and creative players can certainly benefit from this approach, and so can the entertainment value for the fans. Most reassuring of all is the manager's determination and clarity of intent, which he must not abandon, even if the early results are negative.

Still, this setup brings a flip side full of uncertainties: for the third year running, the team must change their philosophy, having gone from Fonseca's proactive football to Allegri's conservative approach and now shifting again to a new playing idea. Some players who seemed to gain confidence and certainty in Allegri's style have looked in difficulty with the new dogmas of building from the back and imposing a style of play in every situation, Pavlovic for example, one of the best last year.

Others, though, are simply not suited to it, and the Portuguese coach's excessive assessment on tour has dragged out the transfer market timeline, even if it was necessary to build the multi-year project Gerry Cardinale asked of him. The many goals conceded are a concern: six so far in three matches, with a defence that is often high and then has to turn and chase back. There is a doubt that Amorim's integralism could prove an obstacle rather than a plus, if the results are not positive early on.

Cardinale and AC Milan's transfer team moved quickly at the start of negotiations to bring two fundamental pieces to Amorim, players they could no longer do without. Up front came Goncalo Ramos, the most expensive signing in Serie A and in Milan's history at €75 million, a striker who is a guarantee and probably the best profile available on the market, given he was PSG's reserve forward for the Champions of Europe.

At the back, Mario Gila fits the same mould. Injured against Celtic, he has returned to training with the group in recent days. AC Milan beat Napoli, Inter and other rivals to the Spaniard, who knows the Italian league perfectly and is a key piece for the back line, as his solid debut against the Scots showed. Two needs addressed straight away and without sparing any expense.

Then everything suddenly came to a halt. Milan had stolen a march on the competition and started the summer with a clear advantage over their rivals, but were caught and overtaken by them, with 4/5 teams who currently appear superior. July brought a month of inexplicable inactivity. Amorim's assessments have weighed heavily, some of them unnecessary or too drawn out in terms of timing, but above all the difficulties in trimming the squad on the way out, with 7/8 players clearly unsuited who, however, have no offers and now risk staying obtorto collo or being sold off cheaply or sent out on loan, as with Athekame to Lyon.

Tomori, Fofana, Odogu and, surprisingly, Nkunku are out of the project. Gimenez and Estupinan seem stuck in limbo and risk going from the revolving doors of negotiations to a place on the pitch if satisfactory offers, which have not arrived so far, do not come in. The idea of letting a shortlist of departures filter out on 13 August did not seem a useful move to facilitate them, especially in the case of players with short contracts. Then there is the situation of Leao, the highest-paid player in the squad, who put himself up for sale, did not receive suitable offers and now even appears capable of staying in Milan, though it is not entirely clear with what status or attitude if he cannot be sold in the next few days. There is also the discontent of Maignan and Rabiot too, who return to Milanello a week before the start, due to Allegri's departure, and that has also proved a boomerang, given that they are two pillars of the squad.

The failed sales have slowed the incoming market and at the moment at least two roles, centre-back and left-sided wide player, look short alongside Gabbia and Bartesaghi. Amorim had asked for Goncalo Inacio for the back line at the start of the window and by mid-August he still has not arrived. There are also the doubts from a numerical point of view in some positions: in short, although Cardinale has guaranteed the signings, Milan in mid-August, a week before the start of the league season and two before the end of the transfer window, are still a work in progress, and it is not easy to achieve in fifteen days what you have failed to do in three months.