Milan’s new project: Paratici and Allegri in tandem, new technical-tactical approach and forgotten names making a surprise comeback
Milan, con Allegri un rientro a sorpresa: torna e diventa un pilastro (Foto: LaPresse) – serieanews.com
Construction sites are open and work is going on at breakneck speed. Giorgio Furlani and Gerry Cardinale are grappling with what will be a breakthrough season. The first piece to be placed is that of Milan’s new sporting director. And here there seems to be no doubt: Fabio Paratici, former Juventus and Tottenham, is very close to signing. If they get him, it is because they are thinking about a coach who has already written heavy pages of Serie A with him.
And that name is Max Allegri. Yes, the coach who won Milan’s last Scudetto before the long crossing into the desert. Allegri’s return to Milan is no longer science fiction. The alternatives are there, from Antonio Conte (who could break free from Napoli) to Roberto De Zerbi, but the lure of history weighs heavy. And the unfolding scenario has the flavor of a modern restoration.
If indeed Milan decides to entrust the bench to Allegri, it will not just be a return to the past. It will be an opportunity to build a new project with deep roots.
Allegri knows the environment, he can handle the pressure of the San Siro and, most importantly, he is used to getting the most out of players who perhaps look ordinary elsewhere. Think of Cuadrado, transformed into a full-back, or Mandzukic deployed outside. Milan, which needs experience but also concreteness, seems ready to re-embrace its old coach and focus on a more solid, more pragmatic group. With one eye on the budget and one on the field.
Allegri al Milan e il 3-5-2: ecco perché Saelemaekers può essere protagonista
Here’s where the fun comes in. Because when you change coaches, you also change the men to focus on. And there is one name that, with Allegri, could go from redundant to a starter: Alexis Saelemaekers.
Allegri al Milan e il 3-5-2: ecco perché Saelemaekers può essere protagonista (AnsaFoto) – serieanews.com
The Belgian, who landed at Milanello in 2020 thanks to Paolo Maldini’s intuition, had ended up on the sidelines. First on loan to Bologna, then to Roma: it seemed only a matter of time before seeing him leave on a permanent basis. Instead.
In Ranieri’s court, Saelemaekers has found a new life. From a discontinuous offensive outside forward to a complete midfield fifth. That role in the 3-5-2, the same one Allegri used for years with Juventus, could be perfect for him.
In Roma, Saelemaekers convinced. Leading numbers (5 assists and 6 goals, all from December onwards), a lot of running, but above all ductility. The ideal profile for a coach like Allegri who loves reliable men.
And, let’s face it, being able to have a starting right fielder without having to spend a euro is tempting. Especially if the money saved can be used to shore up more uncovered departments: central defense and attack, for example. And to think that the club was considering a farewell for less than 20 million euros….
And in a soccer where quality full-band outfielders are in short supply, having Saelemaekers already on the roster could be the most underrated market coup of the summer. He may not make fans dream like Gimenez or Joao Felix, who in fact will not be reappointed, but he is one of those names that turns noses up in June and becomes indispensable in October.
This article Milan, with Allegri a surprise comeback: he returns and becomes a mainstay appeared in its original version first on SerieANews.
