Massimiliano Allegri has never been a manager to chase flashy names for the sake of it. He builds machines, not collections. So when GoalZaza understa...
Massimiliano Allegri has never been a manager to chase flashy names for the sake of it. He builds machines, not collections. So when GoalZaza understands that the Italian has identified Bayer Leverkusen's Alex Grimaldo as his primary target for the left flank, you can bet your bottom dollar there is a method to the apparent madness.Let's be brutally honest here. Milan's recent struggles in transitional moments have been laid bare for all to see. Too often, they get caught high up the pitch, with the full backs left in no man's land when the ball turns over. Grimaldo, however, offers a different breed of service. He is not just a marauding wing back in the classic sense; he is a metronome who can drop into the midfield third, pick a pass, and then burst beyond the forward line. For a side that sometimes looks clueless when breaking down a stubborn low block, his ability to whip a first time cross with his left peg is precisely the sort of specialist weapon the Serie A giants lack.This move, if it goes through, reeks of Allegri's desire for tactical flexibility. He wants the option to switch between a back four and a back five without having to empty the bench. Grimaldo, having thrived in Xabi Alonso's fluid system in the Bundesliga, is already comfortable in that floating role. He can be the spare man in possession, the creator from deep, or the overlapping runner. It gives Allegri a chess piece he currently does not possess.The real question is whether Leverkusen will let him go for a sensible fee. After a couple of standout campaigns in Germany, the Spanish international has proven he can handle the physical demands of European football. For Milan fans, this is a signal that the manager is not just patching holes; he is planning for a specific identity. The days of hoping for individual brilliance from the flanks might soon be over. If Allegri gets his man, expect the left side of the San Siro to hum with a rhythm it has not known for years.
