AC Milan, 91 operations in three years: the figure that makes you think
In the increasingly heated debate surrounding AC Milan‘s management under RedBird, some figures have emerged that deserve a thorough analysis. According to a count published by Milan News, over the last three seasons the Rossoneri club has carried out no fewer than 91 transfer operations — including purchases, sales, loans, loan returns and contract terminations. A number that, when referring to the first team alone, stands without parallel among top European clubs of similar stature.
A revolution every year: is this really the right path?
Ninety-one operations in three years means an average of over 30 movements per season. In other words, every year Milan has substantially overhauled its squad, never managing to build the solid backbone that defines great champion teams. The winning clubs — from Inter, who have dominated recent Italian league titles, to Napoli, who claimed the Scudetto in recent years — have all bet on continuity, on a cohesive group of players, and on targeted market interventions rather than systematic revolutions.
AC Milan, by contrast, has constantly changed players, systems and hierarchies, yet this whirlwind of activity has yielded no tangible results in Serie A. The only trophy won in this three-year period is the Supercoppa Italiana — a positive result in itself, but certainly not enough to satisfy the ambitions of a club with the history and prestige of Il Diavolo.
The gap from the top: over 50 points in three years
The transfer market figures intertwine with equally telling league table numbers. Over the last three seasons, Milan have fallen roughly 20 points behind the league leaders each year — a constant and worrying gap that, added together, amounts to over 50 points behind the top of the table across the three-year period. A figure that captures with surgical precision the distance between the club’s ambitions and the reality on the pitch.
Despite the money spent and recouped — because Milan have certainly moved significant financial resources — the sporting return has been virtually zero in terms of title contention. Looking from the outside, the impression is that this has been more of a Football Manager approach than a structured, long-term technical plan.
The RedBird model applied to Milan: does it work?
Inevitably at the centre of the debate is the figure of CEO Giorgio Furlani, who arrived at Casa Milan alongside the American ownership of RedBird Capital Partners, led by Gerry Cardinale. The management model proposed by the US ownership — more focused on asset valorisation, player trading and financial efficiency — has shown clear limitations when applied to a club with the history, fanbase and expectations of AC Milan.
It is not simply a matter of replacing one executive: the issue is deeper and more structural. However, it is undeniable that faced with 91 transfer operations and no major trophies, something in the decision-making process needs to be reconsidered. AC Milan has a duty to fight for the Scudetto until the last matchday, not to find itself out of contention as early as January or February.
The hope — and the firm belief of those who truly love these colours — is that this analysis serves as a starting point for real, concrete and lasting change. Milan have every potential to return to the top: the talent in the squad is there, the passion of the fans is extraordinary. All that is needed is stronger leadership and a clearer vision.
