Montella to Milan rumors are back

Less than a full day after an emphatic Coppa Italia victory at the Olimpico in Rome Vincenzo Montella was on the front page of the Milan-based Gazzetta dell Sport. But the articles were not merely celebrations of the young Neapolitan coach's talent or his sustained success in Florence; instead they once again linked Montella with the head coach position at AC Milan, where fellow former striker Pippo Inzaghi has failed to inspire a stagnant rossoneri outfit.

While the paper was quick to note that it was far too early for any even informal approaches to be made, Inzaghi is clearly in trouble with only one win in his last four, and is at this stage unlikely to keep his job unless Milan were to win a European berth. GdS was also quick to observe that Milan "doesn't want to create diplomatic problems" with the Viola, who have in past reacted with hostility to Milan approaching their players outside of transfer windows. Milan have sniffed around Montella the previous two summers as well, only to be rebuffed. The Fiorentina head coach has a contract with the Tuscan outfit until the summer of 2017.

Despite these qualifications, the widely read paper had no shyness in declaring Milan's fondness for Vincenzo Montella only days after the Italian transfer window closed. Napoli are also reported to be interested in Montella if Rafa Benitez were to leave the club in the summer, and Montella is known to be open for a move in the summer depending on how the season plays out. It's early days, but this may be the next "tormentone" for Fiorentina fans, especially if la Viola continues to enjoy success in all competitions.