Milan officially unveiled latest signing Krzysztof Piatek to the media on Thursday in what was arguably the best press conference yet from the hierarchy.
After Gonzalo Higuain appeared set for a premature exit midway through his season-long loan deal from Juventus, the Rossoneri wasted little time in acting to bring in his replacement.
SEE MORE: Five talking points from Genoa 0-2 Milan: Donnarumma crucial, Paqueta continues to impress
19 goals in 21 appearances so far this season, with the video below highlighting his clever movement in the box, an excellent first touch, eye for goal from distance and close in as well as an aerial threat, the 23-year-old Polish international is arguably a better fit for us.
First touch ✅
Clinical eye for goal ✅
Clever movement in box ✅
Can score close in, from range + in the air ✅There really is a lot to like about him. Big responsibility/pressure on his shoulders, will be crucial to see how he deals with that. Believe it’s a great fit though. pic.twitter.com/73mJvtkaSk
— Milan Talk (@MilanTalk1) January 23, 2019
That’s not to say that he’s on the same level as Higuain, but he should suit the style of this team and his characteristics are what is needed from our frontman in a 4-3-3 system. Further, he showed at Genoa alongside Christian Kouame that he will potentially look equally as comfortable in a two-man attack with Patrick Cutrone.
As far as first words and assessments go from the player himself and the hierarchy though, this was close to a masterclass from the top all the way down.
Milan CEO Gazidis was first to deliver as he outlined the vision off the pitch.
“We must build a dream, but to do that we must have a plan. We have to rebuild the team for the long term.”
While also reiterating the honour that he feels in representing Milan, it’s clear that his influence will be huge moving forward.
Importantly, it was all about balance. On one hand he spoke of important investments and building for the future, but equally working within the FFP parameters and keeping our feet on the ground to build a sustainable model.
Then came a clear message from both Leonardo and Maldini, as both insisted that only players who want to be with us and are invested in our project will stay. Higuain? “There’s not much to say. He made his choice and he’s gone. We’re here for Piatek so we’ll talk about him,” the Brazilian told the assembled media.
A clear and concise response, the theme of the entire press conference.
As for the man himself, Piatek insisted that he was “born ready”, and is adamant “he’ll do everything to get Milan back into the Champions League”. Again though, he was keen to point out that it’s one thing saying the things that fans want to here, but his intention is to show it on the pitch.
Following a quick fan-boy moment as he shared a joke with club legends Maldini and Leonardo, Piatek’s message was simple. He intends on scoring the goals to fire us back to where we want to be.
There are no guarantees in football, as we’ve just seen with Higuain who many of us believed would lead us back to Europe’s top table.
In Piatek, as with Lucas Paqueta, Mattia Caldara, Gianluigi Donnarumma, Alessio Romagnoli, Andrea Conti, Suso and Patrick Cutrone, the plan is clear. Milan are building something for the long-term both on and off the pitch, and it’s hoped that the faith shown in these players is repaid sooner rather than later as a return to the Champions League next season would be a huge step in the right direction for the club as a whole.
Three minutes of the best bits from Krzysztof Piatek’s official presentation ?#WelcomePiatek pic.twitter.com/b5j7ha4iej
— AC Milan (@acmilan) January 24, 2019
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