AC Milan have been extremely cost-conscious in recent seasons, which has led to the departure of players like Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Thiago Silva along with several other high profile players.

They are once again set to lose the likes of Robinho and Alexandre Pato during the January transfer window, which is likely to infuriate the fans even more. However, the manager Massimiliano Allegri thinks that the decision to invest in the youth is the need of the hour. The UEFA financial fair play regulations has come into effect recently, which will be a major hindrance for clubs trying to spend beyond their means.

AC Milan have a lot of debts despite having a wealthy owner in the form of Silvio Berlusconi. For the fans who were hoping that Milan would at least bring in a few high quality players during January will have to be disappointed because Allegri has confirmed that he does not intend to splash the cash. Robinho and Alexander Pato have been fixed only for AC Milan over the years, but the club looks set to sell both the players due to a number of reasons. This would replace the young striker Stephan El Shaarawy as the recognised quality upfront, but Allegri plans to bring in a striker.

"We are on the right track by focusing on youth. We are building a new Milan, so this is an achievement that takes time and passion. The president [Silvio Berlusconi] is right to take this route, as nobody in the current Italian financial crisis can afford wages of €7 million per season and stay within the Financial Fair Play rules. I am happy with the number of points we have so far this season, even though we could’ve had a few more," said Allegri, whose team are seventh in the Italian Serie A table.