Mike Maignan’s future has become the subject of speculation in the media and among the AC Milan fan base, but selling him this summer would mean ignoring some internal hints.
As MilanNews writes, it was an emotional evening on Saturday at San Siro with Milan greeting three protagonists from the 2021-22 Scudetto season saying goodbye in defender Simon Kjaer, striker Olivier Giroud and coach Stefano Pioli.
It was farewell party that began before the match against Salernitana, continued during and ended afterwards with words in the middle of the field of those directly involved.
Both Pioli and Giroud spoke to Sky and gave their last interviews as coach and player. When asked who could be the future leader of Milan, both of them agreed.
Pioli responded as follows: “Milan is losing depth but the guys who are here have grown. In terms of impact, I think Maignan can be a point of reference for the dressing room.”
Giroud echoed his sentiments: “I see players like Mike [Maignan] doing it well. He has personality, for me he must continue to be the leader on and off the pitch.”
Even Antonio Mirante – who was in the same department and is also departing – reinforced their words in an interview with Radio Serie A.
“Mike is an incredible professional, a total goalkeeper who is destined to improve even further in the coming years. His charisma can be felt just by looking at him in the dressing room you know he’s there, he conveys certainty and this quality is essential for his role.”
These are words not to be underestimated. In the last two years, Milan have lost Zlatan Ibrahimovic (now part of the club, but in a corporate role), Giroud, Kjaer and Pioli among others. The big cornerstones of the team have disappeared.
To build a winning team, it is absolutely necessary to replenish the leadership department. With the possible sale of Maignan – or even a player like Theo Hernandez – the impact of losing charismatic and experiences players who are well respected in the squad must be fully evaluated.