There is a real risk that AC Milan’s club-record signing Goncalo Ramos could become a problem, if he isn’t already.

As La Gazzetta dello Sport recall, Ramos announced that he wouldn’t celebrate if he scored against Benfica during his press conference on the eve of the match. Thankfully for him he didn’t have a decision to make, as he did not even come close to scoring.

The striker, kept on the pitch by Ruben Amorim for the entire 90 minutes again, finished his third consecutive match without a single shot on target. It’s not that he is getting chances and firing them wide: the issue seems decidedly different.

The Portuguese is struggling terribly even to get himself in front of goal. He’s had just four touches in the opponent’s penalty area (for reference, Adrien Rabiot had six after coming on in the second half), three shots off target (two headed), and a whopping 16 duels (as many as Strahinja Pavlovic).

Ramos’ stats don’t seem like those of a player who cost over €70m plus bonuses in the summer. The nerves over the lack of opportunities affect him outside the box too: yesterday he lost possession 16 times, more than anyone else. It was a tough night.

A nullified threat

A third consecutive game without a shot on target, plus a fourth in five games without a goal, can only fuel criticism. The price paid to PSG, the fans’ expectations, and the desperate desire to break the curse of the No.9 all adds up.

Yet, expecting Ramos to solve the problem alone might be unfair, as well as exaggerated. As Ruben Amorim emphasised, the entire team needs to improve to better support their centre-forward, who is often too isolated or forced to drop deep to get into the thick of things.

Another issue is the inactivity in the first half: in five competitive matches, the Rossoneri are yet to score before the interval. This is a clear sign of their offensive struggles when the game is yet to pick up pace, which inevitably affects Ramos.

Gonçalo could also get a helping hand from one of his idols, as he confessed in an interview with UEFA : “One of my greatest inspirations is Zlatan Ibrahimovic. I’ve always liked him and I’ve tried to replicate some of his moves on the pitch. He’s a role model for me, and the fact that he played for AC Milan makes him even more special.”

Well, Ibrahimovic returned to Milanello this week and has undoubtedly already had a chat with Ramos. Perhaps he’ll be offering his heir more advice in the coming weeks, even though the Swede isn’t an employee of the club, but a partner of RedBird Capital.

It wasn’t just Ramos, though: Milan’s entire attack fired a blank for the first time this season. Omari Hutchinson made his first start but came off at half-time, Alphadjo Cisse was quiet, Christian Pulisic tried but couldn’t spark a comeback, while the same can be said for Alexis Saelemaekers.

When the entire department is struggling, the leader of it becomes the symbol. Something needs to click, otherwise early troubles could quickly become a more worrying crisis.