Football Special Report: AC Milan must sign a centre back in January
AC Milan’s defensive woes are no secret, if anything, they are well documented. Rossoneri had one of the oldest back four in the world last season when Gianluca Zambrotta (33), Alessandro Nesta (34), Thiago Silva (25) and Giuseppe Favalli (38) took to the
pitch on regular basis. The average age for the back four in 2009/10 season was thus 32.5 years. Add that to the fact that the likes of Gennaro Gattuso and Massimo Ambrosini are also in the twilights of their careers, little wonder Rossoneri finished third
in the league while getting embarrassed at the hands of Manchester United in the Champions League.
This season however, things have improved. Ignazio Abate has been drafted in as a right back while Zambrotta has moved to the left of the defence. A new look Rossoneri defence has been playing well of late and has conceded only 12 goals in 16 league games
so far this season. However, Lady Luck has not been all that forgiving. Massimiliano Allegri, for some unknown reason, decided to play Thiago Silva in a meaningless Champions League fixture against Ajax Amsterdam. Rossoneri had already qualified for the next
round and many expected youth and fringe players to take to the pitch.
However, Silva played and got himself injured in the process. The results from the MRI scans on his knee were a shocker. The World Class defender had just been sidelined for six months. The Silva-Nesta partnership was arguably the most intelligent and technical
pairing on the planet and as things stand, Alessandro Nesta, on verge of yet another back injury, will have to act as a one man wall against big oppositions. The likes of Sokratis Papastathopoulos, Oguchi Onyewu, Mario Yepes and Daniele Bonera are hardly AC
Milan quality and baring Sokratis, the rest are past the age where one can expect them to improve.
Last season in the Champions League round of 16, Alessandro Nesta was absent for the second leg and Red Devils scored four past a hapless Rossoneri rearguard. This season again, Milan have failed to win their group and as a result, Rossoneri will be forced
to play a top tier team. Should Milan face the likes of Barcelona or Chelsea, a make shift Daviolo defence will be taken to school by the Elite of European football.
With January transfer market approaching fast, Silvio Berlusconi must dig deep into his pockets and shell out some cash. It is said that a stitch in time saves nine. Berlusconi could have acquired a young defender after Milan’s 2007 Champions League triumph
and the young blood would have been ready for the big stage for now. Sadly, Milan hierarchy decided in favour of the nine stitches and Rossoneri must spend a fortune for a top class defender. The only options available to CEO Adriano Galliani are David Luiz
of SL Benfica and Daniel Agger of Liverpool FC.
Both the defenders are exceptionally talented but neither of the two will come cheap. Agger might fetch in range of 15 million Euros but Benfica will want a handsome 25 million Euros for the younger and more attacking Luiz. AC Milan are on course to winning
the Scudetto for the first time in six years and Berlusconi must do everything in his power to avoid yet another notorious slump. With Ibrahimovic leading the attacking lines, all Rossoneri need is a decent defence and January reinforcements should not be
deemed a luxury, rather a necessity.
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