There are also reports that AC Milan's "Mr. X" is Van der Vaart, who can play as a left midfielder, and his price tag of around 20 million euros is within the purchasing power of AC Milan. However, Galliani surprisingly said no to Van der Vaart. "No, our coach wants a more combative player. We don't know why, but we always support his choices," Galliani said. "The gift will come eventually. My priority? A high-quality midfielder." Allegri stated this in an interview yesterday, clearly pointing out his recruitment blueprint. Now it remains to be seen how AC Milan will build the edifice according to the engineer's design.
"To be precise, we need a left midfielder," Galliani further explained afterward, mainly because it is to replace Pirlo. Pirlo is one of a kind, and Serafini believes only Fabregas can fill the organizational void left by Pirlo's departure to some extent, but obviously, the possibility of Fabregas joining AC Milan is far smaller than people imagined. Barcelona is Fabregas' destination, and Arsenal has been emphasizing that they won't let him go.
However, in reality, within Allegri's tactical system, Pirlo's role isn't that significant. Allegri only wishes to use Pirlo as a left midfielder. Therefore, now that Pirlo has left, AC Milan only needs a left midfielder to provide support. Of course, this isn't the final conclusion, because AC Milan's contract renewal work isn't completed yet. The "Roma Sportivo" revealed that what was originally thought to be a smooth negotiation for Seedorf's renewal encountered problems. Like Pirlo, the Dutch veteran needs more "respect". Seedorf demands a clause ensuring his starting position in the contract, which Allegri cannot accept. As a result, the renewal negotiations have fallen into a stalemate with no progress. Despite Braida saying when mentioning the Seedorf issue: "Seedorf has very close ties with the club, everyone loves him, and he loves AC Milan, that's the most important thing..." But people love Pirlo too, so Galliani made it clear: "If Seedorf stays, we still need a midfielder; if Seedorf leaves, we have to buy two players."
Assuming Seedorf ultimately stays, then who will be AC Milan's "Mr. X"? The media recently hyped Pastore, but this was denied by Galliani. "Pastore? I have to first ask Allegri if he can play as a left midfielder..." the Milan CEO joked half-heartedly, "Alright, I say it's not." Galliani's statement is trustworthy. In fact, news from Palermo also confirms that Pastore's transfer to AC Milan is difficult. Zamperini priced Pastore at 40 million euros, exceeding AC Milan's budget, and the Palermo owner added another sentence: if sold, it would only be abroad. Meanwhile, Galliani also dismissed rumors about Hamšík, Parolo, and Asamoah: "We won't buy anyone from Italy anymore; our Mr. X will join from overseas."
After denying all these options, the "Roma Sportivo" finally narrowed down AC Milan's recruitment target to a range: M'Vila, Moussa Sissoko, and Mbia. AC Milan will select a suitable candidate from these three midfield beasts in Ligue 1. The paper even claims that Braida has traveled to France multiple times to evaluate these players who have all received the accolade of "new Vieira", especially the age advantage of 20-year-old M'Vila and 21-year-old Moussa Sissoko, which is more appreciated by the Milan management. If the acquisition can be realized, they will not only fill the gap left by Pirlo's departure but can also gradually take over from Van Bommel and Ambrosini, becoming a reliable barrier in front of AC Milan's defense. After all, a beastly defensive midfielder is what Allegri needs.