More Potential Long Term Replacements for Zlatan
AC Milan fans were clearly pleased when veteran striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic pen to paper on a new, one-year contract extension. The Swedish international will be 40 later this year but he remains a prolific attacking force with 15 goals in his first 17 matches of the current Serie A campaign.
A new deal is a relief to the club but the reality is that Zlatan is not a long term prospect. At least until the end of the season, Milan will have to rely on Mario Mandzukic and Rafael Leao for goals in Ibra’s absence.
At some point, Ibrahimovic will need to be replaced permanently. This website has already considered certain individuals who have been linked with the club so let’s recap on some names while adding some new strikers into the mix.
AC Milan targets
It’s largely been a productive season for AC Milan, even if they are set to concede the Serie A title to bitter rivals Inter. The good news for Italian football is that the long period of dominance by Juventus is at an end but the Rossoneri will want to be challenging for that league title at the end of 2021/22.
The current campaign is fizzling out but it has been a positive one for Stefano Pioli’s men. The best betting sites attached to sbo.net are still showing odds for the Serie A title but Milan are now a distant second favourite behind Inter. Dreams of success in the Coppa Italia and the European competitions are also over but AC Milan will be back.
As the next campaign approaches, those markets will be reset and there will be significant interest in Milan. Sbo.net will also publish news articles and opinion pieces on Italian football in general while there will be opportunities to sign up and get involved. Offers and promotions will be in place across a range of sportsbooks.
There are interesting options but, for Milan to convert in any market, they will need to address the question of who replaces Zlatan Ibrahimovic.
Andrea Belotti: Torino
Belotti is an established striker whose career has really taken off since he joined Torino from Palermo in 2015. In that time, he’s won over 30 caps for Italy and has become a productive attacking force for Il Toro.
With 104 goals in his first 224 games for his current team, Belotti is less of a gamble. He’s ready to make the step up and knows what it takes to deliver the goals in Serie A.
Tammy Abraham: Chelsea
Frustrated at a lack of opportunities under new Chelsea manager Thomas Tuchel, striker Tammy Abraham has been linked with other English clubs including Leicester City and West Ham United. Those are obvious conclusions for the press but could the England international be heading to Milan?
There is a precedent here with Chelsea centre back Fiyako Tomori enjoying a productive loan spell with the Rossoneri and he will be sending positive reports to the West London club. Abraham needs regular football to get back on the radar of England manager Gareth Southgate and Milan can provide that potential. He’s scored just 12 goals in all competitions so far this season but some appearances have come from the subs’ bench and he’s a better striker than this return suggests.
Dusan Vlahovic: Fiorentina
He’s still only 21 so Fiorentina’s Serbian international striker may be seen as more of a gamble than Andrea Belotti. On the other side of that argument, is his undoubted potential and a higher scoring ratio in the current campaign.
In his first 34 games of the 2020/21 season, Vlahovic has scored 16 goals and that compares favourably with Belotti’s return, at the time of writing, of 12 in 29. The Serb is something of an unknown quantity but there is clearly some huge potential for progress at a bigger club.
Other names to be mentioned include former Juventus striker Moise Kean who is currently on loan at PSG. Luka Jovic and Myron Boadu have also been linked. Many players are in Milan’s sights but they will need to choose carefully if they are to get back to the summit of Italian football.