SPECIAL REPORT
"Although we have to compete in three competitions this season, we can’t have 35 players," AC Milan sporting director Massimiliano Mirabelli admitted earlier this week. "We have to get rid of a few. It won’t be a big number but not too small either."
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Indeed, with the club's new owners having already brought in six new faces - Andre Silva, Franck Kessie, Hakan Calhanoglu, Mateo Musacchio, Ricardo Rodriguez and Fabio Borini - and the summer spending spree set to break the €200 million mark with the probable purchases of Nikola Kalinic, Lucas Biglia and Andrea Conti, it is clear that Vincenzo Montella's squad will have to be trimmed.
Seven players are almost certain to leave, with Milan hoping to raise significant amounts of money on the sales of Carlos Bacca and Mattia De Sciglio.
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The Rossoneri believe that they can recoup all if not a large percentage of the €30m they paid Sevilla two years ago for Colombia striker Bacca, who, like former Pescara forward Gianluca Lapadula, has been deemed surplus to requirements due to the arrival of Andre Silva.
Milan are also asking €20m for versatile full-back De Sciglio, who has already informed the club that he does not want to extend a contract that ends next year and is instead keen to be reunited with former Rossoneri boss Massimiliano Allegri at Juventus.
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Elsewhere, midfielder Juraj Kucka is on the verge of signing for Trabzonspor, while centre-half Gabriel Paletta is very close to joining Torino.
Milan are ready to cut their losses on Andrea Bertolacci, who arrived from Genoa in 2015 for €20m but could now return to the Luigi Ferraris on loan or link up with Fiorentina.
M'Baye Niang, meanwhile, turned down a move to Everton earlier this summer in order to weigh up other options and he is unlikely to return to the Giuseppe Meazza.
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Uncertainty surrounds Jose Sosa and Cristian Zapata but Gustavo Gomez is expected to stay put.
However, Argentine left-back Leonel Vangioni could return to River Plate, while Jose Mauri and Rodrigo Ely are also likely to be offloaded, meaning that, in total, Milan could get rid of 10 players this summer.
Of course, that is without even knowing how the Gianluigi Donnarumma soap opera will play out, or whether Suso will stay at San Siro.
Milan are optimistic that the teenager goalkeeping sensation will end up signing a contract extension, but Suso's future remains in doubt following the signing of Calhanoglu, with Tottenham interested in the 23-year-old Spaniard.
No matter what happens on those two fronts, though, there are certain to be numerous departures at Milan this summer.