AC Milan have looked a side transformed under Gennaro Gattuso since his appointment, and reports claim he could now be rewarded for their upturn in fortunes.
Despite significant investment last summer which saw 11 new players arrive at the San Siro, former boss Vincenzo Montella struggled to build on last season’s performance of qualifying for the Europa League.
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In turn, Gattuso was appointed as his successor in November, and although he got off to a slow start, a 13-game unbeaten run in all competitions enabled Milan to re-enter the race for a top four finish in Serie A as well as booking their place in the Coppa Italia final.
The Italian giants now sit just six points adrift of fourth-placed Lazio with a game in hand, and so it’s evident that Gattuso has made a positive impact in terms of their performance on the pitch.
In addition to that though, his grit, determination and passion for the job having been a legendary figure as a player for Milan has helped build confidence and optimism for all concerned, and so there is no doubt that he has impressed in the opening months of the job.
According to Calciomercato, that’s going to result in a new contract, one that will tie him to the bench until 2020.
An argument could be made that it’s still a bit premature to show so much faith in him, as things could still drastically change between now and the end of the season.
However, based on the report above, sporting director Massimiliano Mirabelli and CEO Marco Fassone have seemingly seen more than enough to be convinced.
Gattuso responded to reports of signing a new contract in his press conference ahead of this weekend’s clash with Chievo, and as expected he tried to downplay the situation.
“I am not even thinking about that,” he said, as reported by La Gazzetta dello Sport. “There’s no problem, I am focused on my work and the directors know where to find me. I must continue my work, convince the players they are strong and get them to live day by day. These lads are a gift, they give me their all and believe in what I say.”
While he may be remaining relaxed over the matter, it looks as though Milan are keen to extend their partnership as he has undoubtedly silenced plenty of critics after previous underwhelming stints in charge of the likes of Palermo, OFI Crete and Pisa.