Alex Rodrigo Dias da Costa

[Stitch]

Do you guys honestly believe that our team will fight for anything in the next few years while Alex is here?

He is just going to take space on the roster (sure we needed more players) and eat his salary, not contributing anything of significance.

If we had team like a few years back when we had Ibra (for example), getting Alex even if he was 32 would be a good move to make us a little stronger in the positions we were lacking bodies (anything to make Bonera sit on the bench). But now, with the team we have, he cant do absolutely nothing. I'm struggling to see how is this signing any better than Essien's.

[ACMILAN1983]

I really don't expect us to really be challenging for trophies for a couple of years if I'm honest. I think outside of a couple of players, the club are really aiming more for a top 3 finish too.

As for Alex, unlike Essien he's been playing with consistency and quality for a number of years, with few injuries to be concerned about. He's been playing at the highest level and proven himself every year for a long time and while not on the right side of 30, plays in a position where in theory he's got a couple of years before he's really likely to decline. Also, I read he's going to be earning 2.7m gross per year, meaning he's actually on a pretty low salary (unlike Essien's 3m net).

Given the lack of quality alternatives who we can get and also the fact that it's a massive risk for the club to bank on someone young and unproven, he seems a fairly solid choice. Like I said before though, imo this is only the case if he's partnered with someone reliable like Rami and is considered part of a bigger project (such as letting a younger quality defender grow in peace while Alex is here).

[reza]

2.7m gross?

[xudong]

I heard it is 2.5m net? 2.7m gross would be great, but I strongly doubt it.

[reza]

To put it in perspective 2.7 gross would be less than Nocerino for example and almost same as Bonera.

[ACMILAN1983]

Yeah, I definitely read 2.7 gross on Milannews. I can't find the article anymore though, which is odd....

[xudong]

Yeah, I definitely read 2.7 gross on Milannews. I can't find the article anymore though, which is odd....

maybe because what he will earn isn't 2.7m gross, so they have to take off the article.

[ACMILAN1983]

You might be right It did seem odd, but then I thought maybe his age played a part.

[Stitch]

Bottom line is, he won't help us win anything right now, and he is too old to be the part of some new project = deadweight.

[ACMILAN1983]

Bottom line is, he won't help us win anything right now, and he is too old to be the part of some new project = deadweight.

I don't agree with that tbh. I think we need to be patient with the youngsters coming through. We can't afford someone who will help us win anything immediately, while young players can't be expected to just suddenly be ready to play every game at senior level.

Other than El Shaarawy and De Sciglio, we need a little patience with other young players. Based on what I've heard and seen, guys like Iotti, Simic and De Santis have a potential future as CBs in our first team, but at this point in time we need someone we can rely on to help with immediate goals (trying to get back into CL).

Guys like Montolivo, Rami, Alex, Honda and Menez aren't here to make us win titles, they're role is to help make the transition into a more competitive future smoother and help take pressure off guys like SES, DES, the CBs mentioned above and Cristante.