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Theo Hernandez, Rafael Leao & Mike Maignan ALL To Be Sold? Is AC Milan Set For Summer CLEAROUT? (Clip Q & A Pod)
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Is it time for AC Milan to part ways with Theo Hernandez, Mike Maignan and Rafael Leao this summer as part of a summer squad overhaul?
The Italian Football Podcast patrons David and Andrea send in questions wondering what Nima Tavallaey and Carlo Gargenese think about future of the trio at the Rossoneri.
This is an extended clip from this weeks Q & A episode of The Italian Football Podcast available only to patrons on Patreon.com/TIFP
To send in your own questions and support The Italian Football Podcast simply become a member on Patreon.com/TIFP OR Spotify OR YouTube Memberships. Your support makes The Italian Football Podcast possible.
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Transcript
Welcome Message
00:00:02
Speaker
Welcome to the Italian Football Podcast.
Milan's European Prospects
00:00:05
Speaker
Next question comes in from David, who says, Ciao fellas, question for the pod. Is there a chance Milan cannot make Europe for next season? As I write, they currently in seventh with a game in hand over the rest of the league. However, there are six games.
00:00:22
Speaker
um Bologna away, Lazio home, Lecce away, Como home, Napoli away, Fiorentina home, coinciding the fact that Como is playing some really good football
Key Games for Milan
00:00:30
Speaker
recently. They're only that their only game that should be banked win is a Lecce away. Is these games crucial for Milan's season to reach Europe?
Financial Implications of Missing Europe
00:00:37
Speaker
And worst case scenario, if they fail to make Europe, will they be forced into a re-ball as I'd assume a few players will want to leave due to no European football and the reduction of finances that will come with no European football, such as top earners like Teo,
00:00:48
Speaker
Theo, Leao and Mignon and possibly a few more. Do you believe they have enough quality in the squad to overcome these next games to make the Europa League or Conference League? Personally, I believe Champions League is another question for Milan as I think Juve or Lazio will get fourth.
00:01:01
Speaker
Thank you guys for entertaining
Player Sales if Missing Champions League
00:01:03
Speaker
my question. And next question, Andrea Moana says, do you guys think that Milan will have a clear out this summer if they fail to qualify for the Champions League and which players do you think could leave?
00:01:15
Speaker
Which ones shall we address first there? Clear out? this Yeah, I mean, let's start with his first thing about Europe.
Securing Europa League vs. Champions League
00:01:22
Speaker
I think Europa League, I think they'll finish in the Europa League spots. Yeah, there's no there's no worry there. I'm pretty sure they'll be fine there.
00:01:30
Speaker
Yeah. that's that's what the The Champions League those positions, and I think as you said on the Monday pod, this week is going to be very, very big for them. They've Bologna away, who are a direct challenger, and they've got Lazio at home, who are a direct challenger, but all the while, with an eye on Juventus, who have opened up an an eight-point lead, albeit having played a game more than Milan before the Bologna game.
00:01:53
Speaker
So, you know, they for me, they need they definitely need at least four points. I mean, you say six points. I think six. They need four. they get less than four, then they really are... It's really going to be a real uphill battle for them.
00:02:08
Speaker
so So, yeah. And as as David says, that is a difficult run. You know, the fixtures they've got. Bologna away, Napoli away. You know, these are these are tough matches. So, it's... They've put themselves in a position where they can't make too many more mistakes.
00:02:26
Speaker
And that's always a difficult position to be in when you're under up pressure.
Internal Issues and Player Mistakes
00:02:32
Speaker
Yeah, it is. um And also because of everything that's going on at Milan as well. I mean, Milan are not a in a good place right now. um There's constant this constant crises at Milan right now, whether it's Pulisic having to come out and say that he and Conceic don't hate each other.
00:02:49
Speaker
whether it's mistakes, individual brain fart mistakes week after week after week that cost Milan points, um whether it's... Just on that Pulisic thing, do you think it's strange they come out and made statements on that? Like...
00:03:05
Speaker
I just feel like you don't make those kind of decisions. Not in that way, not in with an actual statement on social media. you put out I think it's the kind of thing that I could imagine if this happened say, Inter, or even Juventus, but I'm thinking Inter because i always think of Morata being the example.
00:03:24
Speaker
He would just come out before the game, mention it, address dress it, put it to bed. I think once you start putting out statements, written statements, I think you just... you exacerbate the issue a little bit more, even if you're just putting it out of denial.
00:03:39
Speaker
I think you have a very good point. I think when you start making statements, when you start putting statements out like that, I think the best thing to do would have been to address it in a pre-match interview when everyone is watching um and say that it's nonsense and there's been
Handling Rumors and Public Statements
00:03:54
Speaker
no problem. Or if if the coach himself says there's no problem and Pulisic himself comes out and says there's no problem, then you have like the denial from everybody.
00:04:03
Speaker
Yeah. Basically, rather than putting statements out like that. and yeah Unless it's like some sort of serious transgression where you want to makeica make an example of it.
00:04:16
Speaker
But then again, like you said, then you're exacerbating the issue to a certain extent as well because you're validating it. to And also, what was it based on? it was based on what? A report? meet A newspaper report? Yeah.
00:04:27
Speaker
I mean, we're not talking about something like, for example, with Atalanta, it's different. Because with Atalanta, Gasparini has come out and said the words himself. so So as a result, Luckman, you know, he's he's he's he's had to make a an instant.
00:04:44
Speaker
He's had to say something. you know, he's felt he's had to say something. You can understand why he he reacted in the way that he did. Whereas, what? You're just reacting to any any any old report.
00:04:57
Speaker
You know, just it's just weird. It is weird. It is weird. um And it just suggests to me that Milan are not in a good place. yeah I just think they're not in a good place.
00:05:11
Speaker
it's it's It's further...
00:05:15
Speaker
further further evidence that Milan are not organised and they're not in a good place and and it's it's it's not good sign. I i think you're absolutely right.
00:05:26
Speaker
I think you're absolutely right. As for like where they go from here, well, first of all, like to answer the question from from Andrea about you know do you think Milan will have a clear out this summer?
00:05:39
Speaker
Again, it depends. It also depends on do they finish in the top four?
Budget Constraints and Player Market
00:05:45
Speaker
Because if they finish in the top four, then their financial budget is going to be much, much, much, much bigger than than than what it will be if they they don't qualify for the Champions League.
00:05:56
Speaker
I mean, that's obvious. So that will that will also play a part on, you know, what they do. and yeah i Do they sell players? Do they sacrifice players? As we've said on this pod, it's not but they're not going to financially implode from not qualifying the Champions League in the way that Juventus will if they don't qualify the Champions It's complete...
00:06:15
Speaker
it it's is end of times for Juventus if they don't qualify for the Champions League. Whereas for Milan, it's they can they can deal with it, but it is going to affect their budget. It's going to affect a lot of things.
00:06:28
Speaker
It's going to affect who they're able to attract to the club. It's going to affect contract negotiations. It's iss it's is still going to be a huge, huge blow in terms of the project, where they're at. so And also, you know if Milan don't qualify the Champions League, for starters,
00:06:44
Speaker
Sergio Conceição, whose position is already kind of in question because that's when his contract ah expires, then he's gone. That's number one. So that's number one of the clear-out. Conceição's gone if they don't qualify for
Potential Key Player Departures
00:06:57
Speaker
the Champions League.
00:06:57
Speaker
He might be gone even if they do qualify for the Champions League. Then you've got... I mean, if you this if we take the three big-name players, Teo Hernandez... is gone for me.
00:07:10
Speaker
He's gone, regardless of whether they qualify for the Champions of League or not, because his contract runs out in 2026. He's asking for a huge pay rise. And, and those contract negotiations already went, were already a bit of a struggle.
00:07:24
Speaker
and And now after everything that's happened with the the game against finals, in addition to his bad season, in addition to all the issues that he's had off the pitch, his discipline and his pink hair, you know he they're not that he's not going to get a new contract.
00:07:41
Speaker
ah So I think they'll sell him. And also, forget don't forget, they accepted an offer from Carmo in January for him and he rejected the offer. So I think Milan will will definitely try to sell him this this summer.
00:07:54
Speaker
And then, so then you've got Mignon. Well, Mignon signed a new contract, but I mean, the number of blunders that he's making at the moment, another one at the weekend, I mean, if you, you know, if you're Milan, I don't think you're, you if you get a big offer from a Premier League team or from a big team, you know, someone comes in with a 50, 60 million ah offer for Mignon.
00:08:16
Speaker
I think you think about it now. I do. And then you've got Rafael Liao. Again, if somebody comes in with a huge offer for Rafael Liao, given his inconsistency, given his up and down nature, again, I think i think you think about it. So if we're talking about the big three, I think all three of them, there's question marks over all three of them.
Reflections and Strategic Changes Needed
00:08:35
Speaker
I do. I believe that. ah So if you if they were to get rid of even two of that, we could probably call that clear out already, couldn't we?
00:08:43
Speaker
It's hard to disagree with you on that. um Personally, I think, like I said last week, I think it was, I said, I think it's it's one of those times where this has been a bad season. I don't think Milan make the top four.
00:08:57
Speaker
um And I don't know if they were to win the Coppa Italia or to win the so i mean two trophies, Supercoppa and Coppa Italia, that's great. But this season has still been a mess.
00:09:12
Speaker
um Yes, you you win two trophies, but it all kind of also depends on how you, if you look at it. I mean, you had to sack your coach. um You had to change in January. You to basically change everything and bring in new players to suit the new coach.
00:09:28
Speaker
um You have all these howlers. you got You know, it's it's it's it's a weird one. you could You could maybe then make an argument that, okay, well, the highs of the squad is good enough to win trophies, but the lows are not good enough.
00:09:44
Speaker
So how do you address that? Okay, well, then you look at depth, you look at who stays, who goes. Maybe is it time to say goodbye to Leao and Theo and so on? Cash in on them because they're not going to give you the guarantees you need.
00:09:57
Speaker
you know, you can't, you feel maybe that quote unquote, you can't afford to have them. And then you reboot and start something new with something that works for Conceição. um If you wish to continue with them, if you don't, then that's the first question.
Future Strategies and Managerial Changes
00:10:11
Speaker
Who do you, who do you bring in as a manager?
00:10:13
Speaker
Now we're talking about, now we're hearing that Maurizio Sarri is close to Atalanta to replace Gasperini. I mean, who do you bring in? Cause he's also very different to, to, to, to what's his name?
00:10:24
Speaker
um to Concei Sao. mean, where do you go if you leave Concei Sao? Who do you bring in um You know, it's it's there's lots of question marks. what What is the project? What does it mean?
00:10:37
Speaker
What do you want to do? What kind of football do you want to play? Because you can't keep going back and forth like this. You can't go from Fonseca to Concei Sao and then go to Sarri and then go to, I don't know, Allegri. Do you know what I mean? Like, it makes no sense. Yeah.
00:10:51
Speaker
Yeah, and also the other thing you've to remember, in addition to those big three, there's also a lot of players on loans yeah as
Squad Overhaul and Loan Player Decisions
00:10:57
Speaker
well. And what you do with them? So you've got Kyle Walker, you've got Jao Felix. I mean, Kyle Walker, there's an option, but Jao Felix, there's no option. But Felix has already made it clear he wants to stay.
00:11:06
Speaker
You know, you got Tammy Abraham on loan from Roma. You've got Sotil, who came in from Fiorentina. You've got Alex Jimenez, who I mentioned before, how does Madrid have an option to to to to bring him back?
00:11:19
Speaker
and and you know you how do you deal with that? um you know And there's players that already Milan were trying to sell in January, like Tomori. they in got They accepted an offer from Tottenham. Emerson Royale, they tried to sell in January. Samuel Chicoese, they tried to sell. They negotiations on deadline day to send him the Premier League.
00:11:38
Speaker
Luka Jovic will definitely leave. um So, you know, already there, you're talking about hell of a lot of players. Florenzi will leave, his contract expires. So there's already a hell of a lot of players there.
00:11:49
Speaker
I mean, that's all that's you know that's that's half the squad pretty much there. So, yes, I think the the simple answer is there's a very big real chance of a clear out with or without Champions League.
00:12:01
Speaker
Hmm. we could see I think we're going to see a very different Milan team. We are probably going to see a very different Milan ah team, or certainly squad, next season. Absolutely. And starting with who the coach is going to be, that's a good place to start.
00:12:14
Speaker
yeah ah com Yeah. no we'll We'll have to wait and see.