Milan, from the Guerreiro idea to the Estupinan and Chukwueze situations: what changes out wide

Guerreiro

Milan, Amorim’s team are a work in progress: the choices over the midfield wide options

As well as the entertainment, the draw with Celtic in the first summer friendly offered a few clues about the footballing identity Amorim wants to build at the new AC Milan. Gone is the deep defensive block. In its place comes a focus on winning the ball back high up the pitch, pace in attacking spaces and a more vertical approach than under the previous management of Allegri. Clearly, players with the right characteristics are needed, both technically and athletically, especially down the flanks.

No to the transfer market for Chukwueze

Last spring, there was a moment when the Fulham hierarchy showed a willingness to sign Chukwueze permanently and AC Milan were relishing the prospect of a €24 million fee. When the deal fell through, it looked like it could become a problem for AC Milan, at least until Amorim arrived in the dugout and from day one the Portuguese coach chose to back his gamble on the Nigerian. He has done so convincingly, unlike what happened with Musah. The Portuguese manager is working intensively to turn Chukwueze from an attacking wide player in a front three into a wide midfielder in a midfield four. That means dropping back a few metres, of course, but with different duties: creating for the attacking reference points without neglecting the defensive phase. The signs are positive and for that reason every approach in the transfer market has been disregarded, first and foremost that of Turkish side Trabzonspor. Barring truly indecent offers, Chukwueze will remain with AC Milan.

Winger blocked

While Chukwueze or Saelemaekers will play on one flank, giving AC Milan clear one-on-one quality, Amorim wants more balance on the other so he is not caught out in transition. Bartesaghi is already a well-tested option and, under Amorim, will also play many matches as a left-sided centre-back, while Estupinan is the real new face. The new AC Milan manager has put the deal with Aston Villa (well advanced but not completed because the final agreements are still missing) on hold because he wants to test the Ecuador international, convinced the latest AC Milan version is not the true one.

Guerreiro idea

Manchester United's Mazraoui is a player Amorim likes a great deal, but there are two doubts: he has not played as a wing-back in midfield for years and the English club have shown no sign of being open to a sale, at least for now. That makes Guerreiro an intriguing option: the 1993-born player is out of contract after the end of his spell with Bayern Munich. He is no longer particularly young, but he brings a high-level CV, with 42 goals and 47 assists in 223 Bundesliga appearances, including spells in a Borussia Dormtund shirt.