Prince of Poaching

Filippo Inzaghi

Inzaghi is 37 and is on the table, nursing his wounds and reminiscing the days of the old as the Milan management are preparing a prince to accept the crown from the aging king. Names are rattled on a daily basis and the chaos is nothing short of a media racket. From Balotelli to Grameiro, it wouldn't be a long shot to suggest that the papers have covered the globe in search of the next number 9.

But who is the right forward to don the role of the poacher? Do we need a poacher? Inzaghi's choice remains Alberto Paloschi. The king has spoken but the subjects disagree and so do I. Paloschi is a promising talent, but he is nothing quite like the player he can become. Not yet. Our need is immediate. Let us consider the options.

Santa Cruz might be the ideal fit given the similarities and the price constraints but he would be a short term option given his age. Also would he like to warm the bench and play second fiddle at another club? Fabiano is simply on another level and a player of such calibre wouldn't find room in the first team. Balotelli is a hot head and a risky investment. He is yet to mature as a footballer and until then, his capture might unleash a sense of madness in the club. Pazzini would be a fantastic signing but the striker is at his peak at the moment and would not welcome a role on the bench which is but certain with an irreplaceable Ibrahimovic in the team. Rossi is a childhood fan but he is a second striker and not a central striker. This leaves us with my personal favorite, Alexander Matri.

This young forward has climbed the ladder of success taking his baby steps at our very own youth academy. He always showed promise whilst we always showed our youngsters the door. Matri has matured into a cultured goalscorer for the Sardinians and has been a boon for Cagliari. He is a near-perfect replacement for Inzaghi as a central striker and is sneaky in the box too. He would be familiar with the surroundings and wouldn't take too long to settle down. Matri is an immensely underrated striker, plainly because he is unconventional. His goals are usually straightforward but not spectacular. He became the striker he is under Allegri, the same man who holds the reigns of Milan today. This appears to be a match made in heaven. Matri also provides the option of being the player who can be the front man as Ibrahimovic could play off him. The Italian is great in the air and has an admirable scoring rate. For a young striker, i.e. all of 26, he shows immense composure in front of goal. He has a fairly impressive record in the Serie A and has already scored 8 goals this season for a struggling Cagliari side. Matri would give us an additional touch of quality that would take us to another level. Stopping this line of attack would be a task that most defenses in Europe would sweat over.

A major drawback would be the price tag. Cellino won't let him go for cheap, however that is where Mr. Galliani's expertise comes in handy. Inzaghi is one of a kind and if the scouts are out there searching for an exact replacement, they might find it easier to discover the remains of Isaac Newton in Cambodia. But Inzaghi's injury and Pato's love for the meds has caused the club to flip the notes once again. Ring the cashier and bring the Italian back home. I think we have found our prince.