Departures, the future and a gap to be filled: Milan’s striker situation examined

For AC Milan, the next few weeks will see some crucial decisions made that will shape the near and potentially distant future of the club.

At present, Milan have four strikers in their senior squad. Santiago Gimenez is currently the man leading the line, with Tammy Abraham his deputy, Luka Jovic somewhat of a mystery third choice and Francesco Camarda shuttling between the first team and Milan Futuro.

What could the summer bring for each? Considering the arrival of a sporting director seems to be nailed on, and a new head coach is expected too, the hierarchies could undergo a big shake-up and at present there are few certainties.

The present

We start with the immovable. Santiago Gimenez arrived in the winter transfer window from Feyenoord in a deal worth €35m including bonuses. It is the largest outlay Milan have sanctioned on a striker since Krzysztof Piatek – also a January signing – back in 2019.

Things started very well for the Mexican striker, who got three goals in just a handful of starts, including one against his old club. On Tuesday, hough, he became a striker who hasn’t scored for a month as the initial flame seems to have burnt out.

Nonetheless, there are no doubts about Gimenez’s status as the starter heading into next season, both because of the amount invested and because with five goal contributions in 10 games he is still well on track to have the best per-game output of any striker in the squad.

The last five games or so, though, have served as a reminder that the former Cruz Azul star does require a period of adaptation and for the right service to be provided. These six months will be a very useful apprenticeship, before a ‘fresh start’ of sorts in 2025-26.