Milan coach Gattuso looking at frugal January

Milan: AC Milan coach Gennaro Gattuso (pic) said that the under-pressure club were looking at a frugal January transfer window after their summer spending spree failed to turn their ailing fortunes around.

“No player has asked to leave, the owners know that I’m okay,” said Gattuso on Friday.

“The best gift would be not to lose players to injuries, I don’t expect anything except to put my players in the best physical and mental condition.”

Milan have fallen foul of UEFA’s financial fair play regulations, with questions about the stability of the Chinese-led consortium that purchased the club from Silvio Berlusconi for €740mil (3.5bil) in April.

Milan took a loan from US private equity fund Elliott worth more than €300mil (RM1.4bil).

New owner Li Yonghong then funded a €230mil (RM1.1bil) spending spree last summer but it has failed to produce immediate results.

Milan have slipped to 11th in the Serie A, 23 points behind leaders Napoli and some way back from the European aspirations of their new owners.

“The transfer window can’t be a distraction,” continued Gattuso who took over from Vincenzo Montella in November.

“We don’t need to sign anyone because we have really good players and I want to work with these boys.” — AFP