Have AC Milan signings made them a force to be reckoned with once more?

"These six months will be key to see if I’m in form and can provide results," Zlatan Ibrahimovic said of his return to AC Milan when the deal was confirmed on December 27th, five days after their 5-0 mauling at the hands of Atalanta. The day the transfer was announced, the Rossoneri sat 11th in Serie A and had scored the fifth fewest goals in the league, with 16. Krzysztof Piatek, who would go on to join Hertha Berlin in January, and defender Theo Hernandez were the their top scorers in Italy's top tier with four goals each. 

For a side that invested heavily last summer, it wasn't good enough. Marco Giampaolo paid the price for the club's poor form with his job in October with Stefano Pioli brought in to succeed his compatriot. It wasn't the most glamorous appointment by the Italian powerhouse, but Pioli is a safe pair of hands that knows the league well. Yet even so, AC Milan's form between the 54-year-old's return to Milan and Ibrahimovic's capture was anything but spectacular as they took 10 points from 12 matches. 

The aforementioned defeat at Atalanta to round of 2019 all but summed up AC Milan's current predicament. 2020, though, has shown signs that there is life in this footballing giant yet. This calendar year has been a rough ride for everyone, with the Coronavirus pandemic gripping the world, but 2020 has seen AC Milan turn a corner. 

Indeed, only Atalanta (40) and Juventus (38) have claimed more points in 2020 than AC Milan (35) as they continue the long and arduous path back to their former glory. Ibrahimovic's signing has proven a masterstroke, but it's not just the Swede who has propelled the Rossoneri back up the table and into the race for a top-five finish. The new signings from last summer are beginning to reap the rewards of a natural winner of the 38-year-old's ilk in the squad as the begin to click in Italy. 

Ibrahimovic is a demanding player and a natural winner, so a striker of his calibre and standing in the side is a boost for every player. He is the club's top rated player with a WhoScored rating of 7.25, while Hernandez (7.22) ranks second. Ismael Bennacer (7.06) has also performed admirably in his first season at the club with his dribble success rate (80.2%) the sixth best of the 148 players to have attempted 25 or more dribbles in Serie A this term, forming a solid partnership with Franck Kessie in the middle of the park. 

Meanwhile, Ante Rebic, a loan capture from Eintracht Frankfurt last summer, has been making the most of his chance to consolidate a regular starting spot, particularly in 2020. All 11 league goals he has scored this season have come this calendar year; only Cristiano Ronaldo (20) and Ciro Immobile (13) have scored more than the Croat in Serie A this year. His inclusion in the AC Milan XI has a positive impact on the side, too, with their goals scored per game record rising from 1.23 to 2.17 when he features from the off. 

At the heart of the defence, a less-heralded arrival was Simon Kjaer, who joined on loan at the turn of the year and has formed a solid partnership with Alessio Romagoli, has played a key role in a defence that has shipped just 19 league goals this year; only Fiorentina (17) have conceded fewer in 2020. What's more, shots conceded per game is down from 12.4 to 10.8, suggesting Pioli has them better drilled in the defensive phase and that has aided their rise up the table. 

In attack, the number of key passes per game has risen from 11.8 to 13.5, which has also resulted in an increase of shots per game, from 14.7 to 18.1. However, with a negligible increase in possession, from 54.7% to 55.7%, coupled with the number of times possession has been won in the midfield third rising from 22.8 to 27.3, that in itself the highest in Serie A this year, shows they are winning the ball with greater regularity and moving it to the more creative players quicker, who in turn are able to present the forwards with the chances to go for goal.

This has not only had a positive impact on Ibrahimovic and Rebic in front of goal, but also Hakan Calhanoglu, who has looked back to his creative best in 2020. Five of his six assists this season have come this calendar year, while his 36 key passes is the sixth best in Serie A since the winter break. The change of shape from Pioli has benefitted the Turkey international, and his teammates too. 

Now utilising his favoured 4-2-3-1 more frequently, there is a solid midfield base in Bennacer and Kessie. There is less pressure on Hernandez to provide the width down the left, which while he does well, means that AC Milan have more creative options aside from the Frenchman to call upon. And with Ibrahimovic spearheading the charge with aplomb, those associated with AC Milan will be delighted to see that their investments are finally reaping rewards. 

Pioli is working wonders to salvage the season after a summer that promised so much proved to be a false dawn for this sleeping Italian giant. Rumours of Ralf Rangnick taking over in the summer refuse to die down, but AC Milan have been putting in title challenging form in 2020 with 54-year-old Pioli at the San Siro helm. With the new signings settling in well, and Ibrahimovic proving age is but a number, those in the AC Milan boardroom will hope to oversee a sustained title push next season, and why not? They have beaten Roma, Lazio and Juventus already this year and are one of the form sides since league duties resumed last month. 

Of course, plenty is dependant on Ibrahimovic sticking around for a little while longer, such has been his impact upon his return to AC Milan - their win ratio increases from 36.4% to 66.7% when he starts, after all, and it's clear that he is in form and can provide results as he alluded to upon his arrival - yet there are positive signs at last for the Serie A powerhouse. It's been almost 10 years since their last title triumph, and in that time, they have dropped to 10th in Serie A in what was a fairly heavy fall from grace, but Pioli's fine work with the new additions and familiar faces sees AC Milan ending the campaign strongly ahead of what promises to be an exciting 2020/21 for the Rossoneri.