Samuele Ricci to Milan

A Puzzling Investment Strategy

Samuele Ricci's move to Milan represents the type of transfer that leaves me questioning the club's strategic direction. After being on Milan's radar for an extended period, Ricci has finally completed his move for approximately €25 million. However, I believe this represents poor resource allocation from the Rossoneri, and multiple factors support this assessment.

Statistical Profile:

Ricci's radar reveals a player whose strengths center primarily on ball retention. While he maintains possession well and rarely loses the ball carelessly, his overall impact appears limited across key performance areas.

His passing value registers as around average despite his reliability, while his carrying and take-on abilities show promise without translating into significant final-third progression. For a player in his position, these limitations become particularly concerning when considering the investment required to secure his services.

Perhaps most troubling is Ricci's defensive contribution, which falls significantly below average in both quantity and quality. When compared to Milan's existing and returning from loan midfield options, this weakness becomes even more pronounced

The comparison with players already at Milan, plus confirmed arrivals like Modric and tracked targets like Jashari, reveals Ricci not ranking high across virtually every defensive metric. This represents a concerning trend for a player expected to operate in defensive midfield areas.

The Overcrowded Midfield Situation

Milan's midfield composition creates additional confusion around this signing. Examining their current options reveals a startling reality: between existing players, returning loanees, and targets, Milan would like to have ten central midfielders.

This roster construction seems fundamentally flawed. With only Musah capable of operating in wide areas, Milan would create a full squad of players competing for limited central positions. Ricci's addition exacerbates this problem rather than solving any tactical need. The most significant strategic concern involves Ricci's overlap with Youssouf Fofana's role. Fofana was arguably Milan's only consistently excellent performer last season and operates in his peak years as an established first-choice defensive midfielder.

Ricci, turning 24 when the season begins, is entering his own peak period but competing directly with Fofana for the same position unless the frenchman will be used differently, where Milan already has Loftus-Cheek, and is trying to add Jashari and Modric. This creates an expensive backup situation that seems inefficient from both sporting and financial perspectives.

Alternative Value Propositions

The comparison with available alternatives makes this signing even more questionable. Hans Nicolussi Caviglia, who produced comparable or superior statistical output for relegated Venezia - a significantly less talented team than Torino - could likely be acquired for substantially less than €25 million.

Moreover, Milan faces the peculiar situation of negotiating aggressively over small amounts for Jashari while spending €25 million on what appears destined to be a rotation player. This inconsistency suggests unclear strategic priorities.

Adding to that is Milan's apparent difficulty to address existing roster bloat before adding new players. If Bennacer, Pobega (who was on loan at Bologna and now seems interested in Caviglia), and Adli remain at the club after their loans end, Milan will possess an unmanageable number of central midfielders competing for limited opportunities in the upcoming season when they’re not going to participate in European competitions.

In the end multiple factors combine to make this signing problematic in my view, and the €25 million spent on Ricci represents significant opportunity cost for a club operating under some financial attention. It’s a no for me.