Milan’s surprise hero – It’s not Santiago Gimenez, Christian Pulisic, Joao Felix, Rafael Leao: Unexpected player shatters post-Zlatan Ibrahimovic goalscoring record
At a time when all eyes were on marquee names like Christian Pulisic, Rafael Leao, Santiago Gimenez, and Joao Felix, it turns out that Milan’s most prolific forward—per 90 minutes played since Zlatan Ibrahimovic—has been someone nobody was talking about. A player overlooked, discarded, and nearly forgotten in the depths of the squad list has now emerged as the club’s most efficient goal-scorer since Zlatan.
But who is he?
It’s Luka Jovic—the Serbian striker who arrived under the radar and stayed there for most of the season. Injuries, rotation, and being left out of the Champions League squad painted a bleak picture for the 27-year-old. His departure looked inevitable in January, but no club came calling. Now, as fate would have it, Milan might have stumbled upon their most surprising asset.
According to Goal, “with his goal against Fiorentina, Jovic has averaged a goal every 131 minutes, despite his record not looking very appealing – 11 goals in 39 appearances.” Only Zlatan Ibrahimovic’s rate is better, as he averaged a goal every 128 minutes in his twilight years at the club.
In the past few weeks, Jovic has scored against Napoli and Fiorentina, while Tammy Abraham—another comeback story—netted against Inter and added another in the same Fiorentina clash. All of Milan’s last four goals? Scored by this unlikely duo. The Fiorentina goal carried extra meaning for Jovic. Once a player there, he left the club on a free and has been vocal about the treatment he received.
Saying what others won’t
Jovic has not shied away from expressing his frustration. After his goal against Napoli, he told La Gazzetta dello Sport, “I’m happy to have taken advantage of the opportunities that were given to me, because this year I haven’t had many. I think I deserve more space in Milan too.”
He doubled down again after Fiorentina: “I try to do what I can in the minutes I’m given. I want to play my best in every game, do what I can. I hope the coach notices that.”
His contract expires at the end of the season, and Milan holds the option to extend it. Whether they will or not remains uncertain, but one thing is clear: Jovic is making it very hard to ignore him.
Broken frontline elsewhere
While Jovic and Abraham have revived Milan’s hopes of a Coppa Italia push, other forwards are fading. Leao is still goalless at San Siro in Serie A this season, and Gimenez hasn’t scored since February 18. Injuries, substitutions, and inconsistency have defined the Mexican’s start. Joao Felix, meanwhile, hasn’t contributed a single goal or assist since scoring against Roma in the Coppa Italia.
It all paints a strange picture. The attacking talents Milan spent so much effort (and money) to acquire have faded, while two players many viewed as stopgaps have carried the team.