Mr X Philosophy

There has been much debate surrounding the scenario of the true identity of Mr X as well Milan's transfer season; with some fans feeling disappointed in it and others still living with the belief that the big name will arrive on the last day of the transfer window. A typical Adriano Galliani strategy they say.

When Galliani had announced that a certain Mr X will be arriving, he seemed to indicate that he and the club knew the true identity of the player being labelled Mr X, giving the indication that they had already lined up a certain player.

However, as time went by with just three more weeks left of the tranfser campaign, fans are starting to wonder if the original Mr X deal fell through or if Galliani is waiting until the last moment to reveal the player.

The latter option seems the least likely, as both Riccardo Montolivo and Alberto Aquilani have been linked alongside that title in recent weeks, though rumours of their possible arrival only started to appear after the Mr X story was created.

With this in mind it is safe to conclude that Montolivo or Aquilani are not Mr X or rather the original Mr X.

Mr X was created towards the end of last season whilst rumours of Montolivo's arrival only started to circulate after he refused to sign a contract extension with Fiorentina, leaving the fans unhappy and calling for his departure.

In addition, speculations about Aquilani moving to Milan are the most recent. The former Roma player was set to replace Montolivo at Fiorentina, but that deal subsequently fell through as Liverpool couldn't agree a deal that would suit the player and team; resulting in rumours about a possible move to Milanello.

Therefore, it can be concluded that Aquilani and Montolivo are not Mr X, as they were only associated with the label weeks after Galliani first mentioned Mr X. However; should one of the players arrive this summer and the transfer guru does announce him as the 'real' Mr X, this confirms my theory that there was no real Mr X or Milan have failed to secure the intended initial player.

I have long felt that Galliani created the Mr X as a propaganda to keep the fans enticed and excited for the transfer season. Having a made up identity would also create an air of calmness amongst the fans as they start to believe that Galliani and Braida have already organised a big name to join the squad, thus lifting off the pressure load to sign a player straight away.

Last year's transfer season was one of Milan's best to date in recent years and it is simply near impossible to better a transfer campaign like last year. This is why I believe why Mr X was created.

He was created to give the fans hope, whilst allowing Galliani to buy more time to find a player that will make the fans feel satisfied with this summer's transfer season. So far Milan's market strategy has worked out, with several great players being brought in, but they are missing a key player in the midfield.

Andrea Pirlo's departure has left a void in the midfield as big as the Grand Canyon itself; making it an extremely tough task to find the ideal player to fill that gap that was so well owned by Pirlo. Not to mention, no player would want to have that colossal task.

The mystery behind Mr X remains uncertain. The fans will never know if Galliani really did have a proper identity behind the label;  seeing that deal fall through or whether he created a propaganda to put the fans at ease to buy him time to find an ideal replacement for Pirlo.

Whatever the truth may be there is still work to be done, and it needs to be done fast as there are only three more weeks in which Galliani can put his charming skills to use and swoon in a player. 

In conclusion I do not believe that Riccardo Montolivo nor Alberto Aquilani are the original Mr X but rather this has become a story that has been blown out of the water by the media. Despite this, both Aquilani and Montolivo are two top players that are dynamic and have a creative flair about them, and I for one would warmly welcome them to the San Siro.