Come this stage of the transfer season, where it will soon come to an end, it would have been better to have seen Milan make more progress in rebuilding their somewhat ageing squad.

The arrival of Kevin Prince Boateng, on loan from Genoa, will do little to provide new coach, Max Allegri, with a midfield strong enough and with enough depth to help the team challenge for top honours come the season’s end.

Likewise, in defense, the signing of Mario Yepes yet only adds to another veteran to the Milan ranks. Milan still need a right full back to replace the ageing Gianluca Zambrotta. However, in signing Sokratis Papastathopoulos from Genoa, Milan perhaps have a ready made even though Sokratis is probably best suited to a central role.

Given Alessandro Nesta’s proneness to injury, one suspects that Sokratis will be deployed more often than not in central defence as he was against Juventus on Sunday night. With this, it is clear that Milan should have acquired a full back.

Despite the staffing issues that Milan have failed to resolve, if Milan do complete the signing of Zlatan Ibrahimovic from Barcelona than at least Milan will have solved one problem and an important one too.

With the presence of Marco Borriello as Milan’s first choice striker, the Rossoneri are simply not going to win any trophies. Borriello is clearly not good enough and it has been shown on numerous occasions that he lacks the killer instinct and the off-the-ball movement that Milan so desperately need in their main striker.

Perhaps Milan could bet, again, on Klaas-Jan Huntelaar to lead the attack. However, this seems highly unlikely as he already does not seem a preference by current coach Allegri. This may be with good reason as Huntelaar has, unfortunately so, not done enough to prove that he can be a success in Serie A.

If Zlatan Ibrahimovic does arrive, the problem as to who should lead the Milan attack will be easily solved.

Ibrahimovic is a player of undoubted quality and one who can create goals as much as he can score them. Despite his tendency to not fire in big matches, Zlatan is a player that will guarantee goals.

In addition, Zlatan will suit Milan’s tactical system which is fast appearing strikingly similar to that employed by last season’s coach, Leonardo. Zlatan has the ability to play as the target man, which will suit Milan, as well as have the ability to hold the ball up to help bring team mates into play. He is also not shy of dropping back to recieve the ball, which will help lessen the space between the attack and defence that for Milan last season was at times a real problem.

Alongside Pato and Ronaldinho, Zlatan’s arrival will easily make Milan’s forward line one of the most feared in Europe and it will go some way to helping Milan challenge for honours, finally.

Issues still prevail within the Milan camp, as they have done for years now. However, Zlatan, if he arrives, will solve at least one problem. In signing such a player of world class quality, not only will he solve one problem for Milan but he is bound to bear only good things for the Rossoneri.