Max Allegri has been out of work since leaving Juventus towards the end of last season, and he hopes that his vacation will end shortly.
In January, a desire to return to coaching didn’t push him towards Saudi Arabia, when Al-Ahli were looking for him. Despite the very tempting economic offer, Allegri has long had a clear idea of what he wants: to lead another top European club, preferably in Italy.
He intends to do so from the start of the summer in order to plan for the 2025-26 season well. This is also why negotiations with Roma and West Ham have not taken off in recent months, with both clubs testing the water.
Now there is a concrete possibility for him to return to Milan, who will say goodbye to Sergio Conceiçao. Max is very tempted by this prospect and is ready to say yes to the Rossoneri, without the slightest hesitation.
He is not afraid that the return to a place where he has already been will be bitter, as happened during his second spell with Juventus. And at the basis of his conviction there are various factors.
At Milanello he would find different starting conditions compared to at Juve, where in August he lost a certain Cristiano Ronaldo, initially replaced with Moise Kean and in January with the huge investment in Dusan Vlahovic.
He also obtained the midfielders Manuel Locatelli and Weston McKennie, but the team was not strong enough to compete with Inter and Milan, who were then the champions of Italy. Now the discussion would be very different because he considers the Rossoneri squad to be strong and deep.
The Italian would naturally ask for some signings, but there would be no need for a rebuild. In the event of Theo Hernandez leaving, a left-back and also a reserve would be needed, but the arrival of a playmaker and a striker is also a given.
This is bearing in mind that Santiago Gimenez arrived up front in January, that Christian Pulisic is considered a certainty and that Rafael Leao – in double figures for goals also in 2024-25 – can be further improved by the work of Allegri. Unless an irresistible offer emerges for Rafa.
In Turin, Juventus were facing economic difficulties following overly expensive transfer operations (above all CR7, but also Matthjis De Ligt) and had started a slimming down of the accounts which then resulted in the capital gains case.
At Milan, on the other hand, the balance sheet for two seasons has closed with a profit despite a high net spend in the mercato. Translated: with Gerry Cardinale, the club has invested in purchases much more than it has collected from sales.
Both in 2023-24 and (above all) in this 2024-25 when Gimenez, Kyle Walker, Joao Felix, Warren Bondo and Riccardo Sottil arrived in January, the ownership did actually show a willingness to back the coach to achieve objectives.
The line will be the same next summer even though the Champions League revenue will not be guaranteed. Part of the money for reinforcements will come from players loaned out with an option to buy.
Meanwhile, Allegri’s name will be useful in convincing those players who without the Champions League might have doubts about joining the Rossoneri cause.
Allegri is also remembered with affection by the Milan fans: he was the last coach of the Berlusconi era to win a league title and his curriculum is a guarantee for a team that is in dire need of a coach with his personality and his ability to lift trophies.
The club now need a manager capable of creating a great feeling with the top players, of being followed by the whole squad and also of living with difficult situations. And then there is the factor of Milano, a city he loves and where he still has a home as well as many friends.
Milanello was his home for three and a half seasons, so he knows the environment well. He would start with the credit of the past and with a trophy cabinet that few can boast.
