Milan’s European Flop: One Name Stands Out as the Culprit—the Rossoneri Return to the Transfer Market
From the celebratory night of the derby to bitter European disappointment in the span of just a few days. Milan’s defeat against Ferencvaros—who won 2-0 in one of the Rossoneri’s lackluster performances of the season—has sparked debate not only about the individual mistakes that clearly played a role (De Winter and Torriani inevitably came under fire for the first goal), but also on the lackluster performance of a player whose name has been dominating the discussion among fans in recent hours: Gonçalo Ramos.
The Portuguese forward, who arrived amid sky-high expectations and with a total transfer fee well over 70 million euros, continues to struggle immensely to make his mark. The numbers are starting to become a problem that’s hard to ignore: just three goals this season, the last of which came on October 18 against Atalanta on a penalty kick. To find his last goal from open play, you have to go back to the win over Salzburg three days earlier.
A far too modest tally for a player called upon to carry on Milan’s attacking legacy and lead the team in the most important competitions. For this reason, alongside the need to shore up a defense that continues to show worrying fragility, the attacking unit has now also become a central focus of the front office’s deliberations.
For the back line, there appears to be only one target: Gonçalo Inacio of Sporting Lisbon remains the top priority for January. Up front, however, the picture appears much more fluid, and the winter transfer window could lead to a major shake-up, starting initially with a significant departure—albeit on loan.
Francesco Camarda, in fact, is expected to leave Milanello on loan once again, but this time the club wants to avoid the mistakes made last season. His stint at Lecce, with a team fighting to avoid relegation, did not guarantee the playing time he had hoped for; for this reason, a different solution is being considered—even in Serie B—provided it’s with a team at least in contention for the playoffs and capable of ensuring him regular playing time and opportunities.
As for new signings, the club has specific targets in mind: Endrick and Tresoldi. These are intriguing but extremely complicated deals: the financial aspects aren’t the only factor at play—the positions of their respective coaches also carry weight. In fact, José Mourinho and Ivan Leko consider the two forwards central to their tactical plans and do not seem willing to part with them during the current season.
The trail leading to Cagliari’s Paul Mendy is less likely. The club likes his profile, but at Via Aldo Rossi, there’s a growing conviction that they need a player who’s immediately ready to support the club’s European ambitions—without the adjustment period that would naturally be needed for a 19-year-old who has only played in Italy for the Sardinian club’s red-and-blue jersey.
Finally, the option of free agents cannot be ruled out, even if the landscape offers no particular guarantees. Karim Benzema is still without a team, but there are no concrete contacts at the moment. Mauro Icardi, on the other hand, recently hinted that, given the choice, he would prefer to end his career at Inter. Among the names being monitored is Anthony Martial, though he is coming off a series of disappointing stints and has been described by observers with a remark as cruel as it is apt: “A player with a great future… behind him.”
