Yahoo Sports From Van Bommel to Balotelli: Five of AC Milan’s most impactful January signings
The January mercato is here, and AC Milan require some big signings if they are to turn around their season. So, let’s look at some of the best January deals of the past for inspiration.
Without a doubt, the mid-season window is one of the most difficult things to get right in football. Milan have got it right on occasions, whilst they have also often got it wrong.
Krzysztof Piatek and Lucas Paqueta arrived for more than €70m between them, yet neither had successful careers for the Rossoneri.
Less of the failings though, and let’s take a peek at the good ones.
Mark van Bommel
Despite only being at the club for 18 months, van Bommel is fondly remembered by the Milan faithful for what he did. Arriving in the January mercato on a free agent basis from Bayern Munich, the midfielder quickly took a role as the side’s holding midfielder.
The Dutchman played a key part in the second half of the 2010/11 season, which saw the club lift their 18th Scudetto, and a one-year extension was shortly agreed upon. Whilst another Scudetto did not come, the midfielder aided the club in lifting the 2011 Supercoppa Italiana.
Dida
Putting a goalkeeper on this list could seem slightly strange, however, there are a multitude of reasons for it. The ‘keeper arrived in Italy for a fee of €1.4m in the 1999/2000 season, and his influence was easy to see from the early stages.
In his time at the club, he won a Serie A title, a Coppa Italia, a Supercoppa Italiana, two Champions League titles, two UEFA Super Cups and a FIFA Club World Cup. As honours go, there are few who come close.
Zlatan Ibrahimovic
Not including Zlatan Ibrahimovic on this list would be questionable, definitely. After a season in America with LA Galaxy, the Swede returned in 2020 with many doubting what impact he could have at 38 years old. However, as has often been the case with Ibra as a player, he proved everyone wrong.
Whilst he struggled to make many appearances, his impact was clear to see with him scoring 10 goals in his first season back in Serie A. Then, the following season, he hit 15 goals in the top flight at 39 years old, before contributing to the Diavolo’s 19th Scudetto win the following season.
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Mario Balotelli
With a player like Balotelli, there will always be memories of controversy, but on the pitch, he was regularly phenomenal. As has often been the case with Milan in January, the club made the most of an opportunity with the striker struggling in Manchester.
A 12-goal return in the second half of the 2012/13 season showed that he still had class to him, and despite a slight drop off, if you can call it that, in the 2013/14 season, Super Mario still got himself 14 Serie A goals in 30 games.
Thiago Silva
Last on the list is Thiago Silva, who recently returned to Milan as part of the 125th anniversary celebrations as an invitee from Zlatan Ibrahimovic. He was welcomed back with open arms, and it is easy to understand why.
The 24-year-old arrived in the 2008/09 January window for a bargain price of €10m, but could not play until the 09/10 season, which could make him a dubious inclusion. Nevertheless, the Brazilain defender regularly impressed and he played a key part in the Scudetto win in the following season.
Perhaps the biggest reason for his inclusion is his departure, at the end of the 2011/12 season, Silva departed to France for €42m, making him the most expensive defender of all time, at the time, which remains one of the club’s biggest sales. A transfer that helped on and off the pitch, indeed.
