A Milan limp toward the end of a disappointing campaign, questions loom over the club’s future—from the identity of the next sporting director to the potential overhaul of the first-team squad. Yet, in the midst of confusion and inconsistency, one player has emerged as a rare beacon of hope. A soccer analyst, a former international himself, recently highlighted this figure as “the face of Milan right now”, and his analysis has sparked fresh conversations about who truly deserves the title of the Rossoneri’s most valuable player.
But who is this talisman? In a season where Rafael Leao, Joao Felix, and Santiago Gimenez have all failed to meet expectations, another name has risen to the top—a player whose arrival was met with curiosity, and perhaps even doubt, but who has now cemented his status as a leader in red and black.
The 2024-25 season has not gone as planned for the Rossoneri. Currently ninth in Serie A, the Rossoneri are battling not for a title or a Champions League berth, but simply to qualify for European competition at all. The Coppa Italia remains their last realistic shot at silverware. The team’s lack of consistency has invited intense scrutiny, six matches remaining to determine which players are worthy of staying as the club braces for sweeping changes under a new sporting director and coach.
Offensively, four big names have carried the hopes of the Red and Blacks’ faithful, each with varying degrees of success. Leao—once billed as a future Ballon d’Or contender—has contributed 10 goals and nine assists in 43 appearances, but has been plagued by inconsistency.
Joao Felix, on loan from Chelsea, lit up the San Siro with a goal on debut but has since faded. Milan has reportedly decided against a permanent move for the Portuguese attacker. Santiago Gimenez, the winter signing from Feyenoord, impressed early with three goals, but has been scoreless since mid-February, struggling to adapt to Serie A’s tactical rigidity.
Christian Pulisic: Milan’s reluctant hero
Amid these underwhelming performances, Christian Pulisic has stood tall. 15 goals and 11 assists across all competitions make this the most productive season of his club career. In Serie A alone, he shares the top spot in the assists chart with eight. The American forward added yet another assist in Milan’s 4-0 win over Udinese, delivering a pinpoint corner for Strahinja Pavlovic’s goal. With six league matches and at least one Coppa Italia fixture left, Pulisic looks set to break his own personal best.
Despite three managerial changes this season, the American star has maintained his form. From Stefano Pioli to Paulo Fonseca and now Sergio Conceicao, his consistency has been unmatched. “He has been since he signed,” said Herculez Gomez, former USMNT forward and now ESPN analyst, when asked if Pulisic is Milan’s MVP.
“$20 million is an absolute steal for a player like Christian Pulisic and for that productivity. I can think of maybe one player that comes close to goal involvements… and that’s Lautaro Martínez. Other than that, you’re gonna have to do some real research to find a player as productive as Pulisic.”
Gomez didn’t stop there. He praised the 26-year-old’s ability to perform under various tactical systems and coaching styles: “It’s not that he’s only been good with one coach. He was good with Stefano Pioli, he was good with Paulo Fonseca, and he’s been good now with Sergio Conceicao. Different setups, different coaches asking different things of him, and he’s been the most consistent player to date.”
