AC Milan's mercato appears to be blocked at the moment, but when things get moving again the directors must know who to pursue. It is no secret that Ruben Amorim has asked for a left-footed attacking midfielder to play inverted behind the striker on the right side. However, quite who this profile might be remains as much a mystery today as it did one month ago. Milan seemed to want to invest €35m to sign Kostantinos Karetsas, but Borussia Dortmund were always ahead in that race and eventually agreed a deal with Genk.

The management must go back to the drawing board and determine who is the best trequartista that they can acquire for Amorim, both in terms of their skill set but also the cost-to-quality ratio. One potential target is Amad Diallo, a 24-year-old player who developed a good working relationship with Amorim at Manchester United. He has racked up an impressive 16 goals and 16 assists in 97 appearances since moving to Old Trafford, and has been playing more as a winger under Michael Carrick in a 4-2-3-1/4-3-3.

Other possibilities include Savinho, a Brazilian midfielder who earns €6m net per season and would command a fee of €50m, but who may be available on loan if no sale materialises. There is also Can Uzun, a 20-year-old Turkish player who has been mentioned as having attitude issues and an injury history, but who could depart Eintracht Frankfurt for around half of his initial price tag.

The challenge is to balance the need for a player who fits Amorim's requirements with the financial constraints of the transfer market. AC Milan must navigate this complex puzzle to find the perfect solution for their attack.