- Capello says Modric will “light up Serie A” but Milan lack balance
- Boniface’s injury history makes his signing a risk
- Allegri must solve gaps in midfield protection and attack
Former AC Milan and England manager Capello has praised the signing of Modric but warned that the club’s transfer strategy, particularly their pursuit of striker Victor Boniface, is a “gamble” that may prevent them from winning the Serie A title. Capello stated that while Modric will “light up” the league, the squad lacks balance in key areas.
The criticism comes as Milan enter what Capello calls a “season of redemption” under returning manager Massimiliano Allegri after they finished eighth in the league last term. With no European football to contend with, the sole focus is on the Scudetto. Capello believes that while Allegri is a proven winner, the club have not provided him with a squad of the same calibre, particularly questioning the decision to target the injury-prone Boniface over Rasmus Hojlund for what appear to be financial reasons.
Capello’s critique of the club’s perceived financial caution over a new striker is sharpened by the fact that AC Milan have reportedly earned close to €200 million (£170m/$216m) from player sales during the current transfer window.
Capello wrote in La Gazzetta dello Sport: “Even more so if a winner has arrived on the bench, a coach with clear ideas and who knows the environment and who has already won with the Rossoneri like Allegri. Max will start with a significant advantage: without European competition, he and the team will be able to focus solely on Serie A, a starting position that inevitably recalls Conte’s Napoli a year ago, and we all know how that ended.
“So, [Antonio] Conte was put in a position to fight for the title: targeted signings and a completely new central axis, from [Alessandro] Buongiorno to [Scott] McTominay to [Romelu] Lukaku, his guaranteed centre forward. With Allegri, Milan should do the same, but the moves for the new centre forward seem to have followed different logic, because after a long negotiation with Hojlund, the Rossoneri turned to Boniface, betting on a technically gifted striker, yes, but too often sidelined by physical problems. When I then read that the reasons behind the choice are primarily financial – the Hojlund deal could only be concluded with a loan with an obligation to buy, Leverkusen will accept the option for Boniface – I wonder: shouldn’t a club like Milan, which has earned close to €200 million from sales this transfer window, invest in a centre forward, the one who will be responsible for scoring the goals for the Scudetto?
“Attempting to gamble on such an important role could be dangerous.”
He added: “It’s worth noting that sporting director [Igli] Tare has closed several interesting deals, especially in midfield. I’m obviously thinking of Modric, a world-class professor who can light up the Serie A scene even at 40, but also of Jashari and Ricci, talented youngsters with AC Milan credentials.”n
Milan kick off their Serie A campaign at home to Cremonese on Saturday, August 23. They will be without injured forward Rafael Leao for the opener, with Santiago Gimenez expected to lead the line. Off the pitch, the club will look to finalise a deal for a new striker, with Capello’s comments adding scrutiny to their move for Bayer Leverkusen‘s Boniface in the final week of the transfer window.
