‘Total approval’ – what Milan need to launch concrete attempt for De Zerbi

After deciding to put Julen Lopetegui on stand-by, the AC Milan leadership have gone back to the drawing board to try and find the right head coach for the future.

As Calciomercato.com report, Milan know that the choice of the next coach cannot be wrong, because the objective must be to improve on the current second place position in the table and not just be satisfied with finishing in the top four despite president Paolo Scaroni’s words.

The next Milan manager must help the team to play in an attacking and positive but also balanced way, enhancing the technical level of the squad and with particular attention paid to injury prevention. Before any of that, though, there is the end before the means: win the Scudetto.

Julen Lopetegui was taken aback by the protests against him and the handshakes with the Rossoneri directors from a few weeks ago risk being the last he hears from them because Milan are now evaluating alternative paths more carefully.

It should be remembered, however, that the Basque coach – despite the pole position he had acquired – had been warned that there would still be consultations with other coaches before reaching a final decision.

Who might those other candidates be? Paulo Fonseca’s name remains standing and is gaining some steam while Mark van Bommel is someone that Zlatan Ibrahimovic likes too.

Milan had already expressed ‘total approval’ of Roberto De Zerbi in recent months but the €14m release clause has not yet allowed the start of negotiations. If the conditions to circumvent this economic obstacle arise in the next few days, then Milan would be ready to get serious.