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AC Milan’s summer transfer market signalled the club’s future strategy: signings will be limited to top-tier players, worthy of the weight of the shirt. La Gazzetta dello Sport (seen below) report this morning that Milan are looking for signings like Gonçalo Ramos, Mario Gila, and Diego Moreira, for whom Cardinale invested a total of €150m in transfer fees alone. Gone are the days of low-cost signings, and players picked up at the last minute merely to plug a gap or add a fresh face to the squad. The approach will mirror the strategy used for the Portuguese striker and the Spanish defender: securing targets between late June and early July to beat the competition, even if it meant paying a premium. Why? Because they were the club’s and the coach’s top choices, moves that had been ‘studied and approved’ well in advance (meeting all criteria regarding scouting, data, character, and tactical fit), and because this allowed Amorim to work with them at the earliest opportunity. Had it been possible, the same approach would have been taken with Moreira. Moving forward, there will be no more drawn-out negotiations just to save two or three million euros. Such savings risk turning into lost training time and, more importantly, dropped points. And a Milan side in a hurry can no longer afford that. A missed opportunity? In truth, Milan did try to sign another player during the final 48 hours of the transfer window, another top-tier talent: Gonçalo Inácio. An offer exceeding €40m was put on the table to Sporting CP and accepted, but the deal was contingent on the Portuguese club securing a replacement. That didn’t happen, so Gonçalo Inácio didn’t join the Rossoneri, at least not for now. We shall see what happens in January. As for Tiago Gabriel, Lecce’s asking price was deemed too steep: it would have required €30m – the same fee paid for Gila, considered a far superior player. Consequently, Cardinale, his team, and Amorim decided not to proceed. The decision to reintegrate Fikayo Tomori, who will be useful, particularly in the Europa League, to allow Gila to rest. He was the most logical move to ensure the squad wasn’t left short-handed in the event of an injury, such as the one currently sidelining Gabbia. An offer for the Englishman had arrived from Fulham, but it was too low. Fikayo, who has made over 200 appearances for the club, is regarded as a model professional, and the initial decision to let him go had been made with long-term planning in mind. While an extra top-class defender would certainly have been welcome, the management had long known it wouldn’t be possible to fix every flaw in the 2025–26 squad all at once. More signings Milan’s strengthening plan is moving forward, and the aim isn’t simply to return the team to winning ways within three years: Cardinale wants to accelerate the process. He is convinced that significant strides in the right direction were already made during the first transfer window managed by him and his new team of associates. Should needs arise in January, he will step in with a couple more high-profile moves, without waiting until the final days of the window. The rest will follow next summer, bringing in more players of the caliber of Gonçalo Ramos, true ‘Milan-worthy’ stars. The goal is to lift a trophy as soon as possible, as the RedBird chief is hungry for victory; his professional track record clearly shows he is not content with ‘just’ participating. The squad’s young players can also make a vital contribution; they have stayed not merely to make up the numbers, but because there is genuine belief in their abilities. At Sporting, Amorim successfully launched several young talents into top-flight football and aims to repeat that feat. Indeed, regarding technical and tactical matters, Cardinale has given the coach the final say on personnel decisions. It is no coincidence that the new signings share a strong work ethic and a willingness to make sacrifices for the team, exactly the qualities Ruben values. While waiting to see if there will be other moves in January, in the next few weeks the club will work on the renewals of Adrien Rabiot and Strahinja Pavlovic. Cardinale has already spoken with them and with other players, including Alexis Saelemaekers, for whom an offer from Atalanta was rejected. He is judged too important for the balance of the team to deprive himself of him. Whether starting from the bench or starting, the Belgian always gives the right energy and guarantees maximum commitment.