Milan bid to be top dogs again

– After years of mid-table mediocrity, AC Milan have thrown down the gauntlet to Juventus by assembling a team which fans believe can end the Turin side’s run of six successive Serie A titles.

Under new Chinese owners, the seven-times European champions have splurged €190 million on transfers and, for a change, the money has gone on players who appear to have their best years ahead of them.

Milan, the last team to win Serie A before Juve’s era of dominance began, have endured a decline which coincided with Serie A’s own fall from grace.

For most of former Italy Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi’s three decades as club president, they had enjoyed a golden era but his last few years became a story of unsuccessful transfers and musical chairs in the coach’s seat.

There has been a dramatic change of direction since Berlusconi agreed to sell the club to a Chinese-led consortium in a €740 million deal in April.

New signings have included striker Andre Silva (21, above)) from Porto who has scored eight goals in 13 appearances for Portugal; right- back Andrea Conti (23), a product of Atalanta’s impressive youth scheme; Ricardo Rodriguez (24), a Swiss international regarded as one of Europe’s most accomplished leftbacks; and Turkish midfielder and freekick specialist Hakan Calhanoglu (23).

The latter two were signed from Bundesliga clubs VfL Wolfsburg and Bayer Leverkusen respectively.

The biggest coup was landing defender Leonardo Bonucci from Juventus, ending the club’s socalled BBC defence that also featured Andrea Barzagli and Giorgio Chiellini and which had been together since 2010. –