Both Milan clubs have been heavily engaged in transfer activity as of late despite facing the upcoming season without European football, and this is linked to the fact that substantial funds are available to both sides through outside investment.
AS Roma was the first Serie A club to receive foreign ownership when American entrepreneur Thomas DiBenedetto led a group of American investors in purchasing the club back in 2011.
Fast forward four years and both Inter and AC Milan have followed suit. Indonesian businessman Erick Thohir purchased a 70% stake in the Nerazzurri in 2013 whilst Thai businessman Bee Taechaubol negotiated a 48% stake in the Rossoneri last month.
But due to Financial Fair Play restrictions in place nowadays, both clubs cannot completely clear out and replace their starting XIs and attempt to buy immediate success – Manchester City and AS Monaco appearing to be the final examples of this. Instead, it is now a slow and burgeoning process.
To make matters worse, the stock of both of these former European and Italian heavyweights has drastically plummeted in recent years to the point that they are no longer globally recognised as such. This was initially believed to have a telling effect on how both clubs would operate in the transfer market this year.
Yet despite mid-table finishes for the pair, both Milan and Inter have been two of the busiest sides in the market leading up to the beginning of the 2015-16 Serie A campaign – and they have not bought in second-tier quality or Premier League rejects.
Roberto Mancini’s side was the first to receive new additions. Colombian centre-back Jeison Murillo and highly-rated French midfielder Geoffrey Kondogbia signed for Internazionale prior to the opening of the transfer window. The loan deals of João Miranda and Martín Montoya were completed shortly afterwards, resuming a highly productive offseason period for the Nerazzurri that has so far resulted in expenditure of around €45 million.
The red half of Milan appears to be operating no differently as well. As soon as Taechaubol obtained his stake in the club, big name arrivals were linked. Jackson Martínez and the aforementioned Kondogbia were reportedly on the verge of signing for the club, only to later opt for different colours. The Rossoneri were unperturbed, however, going on to purchase Martínez’s Colombian striking counterpart Carlos Bacca for €30 million, Andrea Bertolacci for €20 million, prolific Brazilian front-man Luiz Adriano for €8 million, and talented 19-year-old José Mauri for free.
And even more reinforcements are reportedly imminent for both sides.
AC Milan’s transfer strategy in particular was a far cry from this not too long ago. Club CEO Adriano Galliani and President Silvio Berlusconi pillaged the free transfer market on many occasions to add to the squad. The likes of Michael Essien, Alex and Gabriel Paletta all joined the club as free agents, with talented individuals that the club could have built the team around such as Bryan Cristante and Mario Balotelli (before his reputation took a monumental nosedive at Liverpool) moved on for just €6 million and €22 million respectively.
This is exactly the type of effect foreign investment can have on clubs – spending next to nothing one year, splashing millions the next.
And it is not just at the highest level where both clubs have received investment. The two businessmen have vowed to pump funds into the structures at both grassroots and youth levels for their respective clubs, in the hope that more local talent will be recognised as capable for a starting role at their club – something that does not seem to be a common occurrence at big clubs nowadays.
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As well as this, clubs such as Napoli, Lazio, and Fiorentina will all be bitter at the fact that their Serie A opponents have a somewhat ‘unfair’ financial advantage over the rest of the league. The three sides, as well as Roma, will all be competing with the two Milan clubs for those coveted Champions League places.
Despite this, there is no doubt that foreign investment is positive for the league. With the financial capacity of many Serie A clubs waning in recent years, and the league itself in turn waning in quality, it comes as a relief for fans of Italian football that there are clubs that can compete with Juventus in the transfer market.
Whether or not both clubs are abiding by Financial Fair Play regulations will be determined by UEFA come the judging period. However for the time being, fans of the two clubs can bask in the fact that they are again up there with some of Europe’s elite in terms of financial power.
The ability to compete with some of Europe’s heavyweights in both player prices and wage demands could be the difference between a mid-table finish and a top three finish, which will be the aim for both clubs in 2015-16.
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