AC Milan: Crespo questions expectations around £64m Goncalo Ramos

Former Chelsea and AC Milan striker Hernan Crespo has questioned whether expectations surrounding Goncalo Ramos have been inflated by his club-record £64m price tag, arguing that the Portugal international has never previously shown the numbers of an elite goalscorer.

Ramos arrived from Paris Saint-Germain during the summer in a club-record £64m deal and was expected to become the focal point of Ruben Amorim's attack.

The early return has been modest.

The 25-year-old has scored once in his opening six competitive appearances, increasing scrutiny of a transfer worth around €74m (£64m).

Crespo, who played the same position during his own spell at San Siro, nevertheless believes Milan supporters may need to adjust what they expect from their new number nine.

"I know Goncalo Ramos, he's a good player, an excellent centre-forward and he will score goals sooner or later," Crespo told Gazzetta dello Sport.

"Of course, for the money invested, the fans expected a top-level goalscorer, but the Portuguese has never been an infallible finisher.

"He's a great player, of course, but he certainly cannot be considered elite."

£64m price tag has changed expectations around Ramos

Crespo's assessment is based largely on Ramos's record before arriving in Italy.

The striker moved from Benfica to PSG in 2023 and went on to score 53 goals across 131 appearances during three seasons in Paris.

Those are respectable figures, particularly given that Ramos was not always a guaranteed starter under Luis Enrique.

They are not, however, the numbers of a centre-forward consistently operating among Europe's most prolific scorers.

"In the last three seasons at PSG, he scored 53 goals in 131 appearances," Crespo added.

"That means he didn't have an extraordinary scoring average, not even one goal every two games.

"Despite making a considerable contribution, he was never an undisputed starter under Luis Enrique in the team that won two consecutive European titles."

That creates an obvious tension at Milan.

A record transfer fee inevitably brings expectations that Ramos will be judged primarily by goals, regardless of whether that was ever the strongest part of his overall game.

His slow start has only intensified that scrutiny.

His only Serie A goal so far came against Venezia in Milan's second league match of the season, when he broke the deadlock in a 2-0 victory at San Siro.

However, Crespo's point is not that Milan have signed a poor striker.

It is that the price may have created an image of the player that does not entirely correspond with the qualities he actually offers.

Ramos is already giving Amorim what he wanted without the goals

Amorim's continued support helps explain why Milan's internal assessment may differ from the external focus on Ramos's scoring record.

The Portugal international was recruited partly because of his willingness to work without the ball.

He presses defenders, makes runs to create space for teammates and regularly leaves the penalty area rather than operating purely as a traditional number nine.

The physical numbers underline that commitment.

Ramos covered 57 kilometres across Milan's opening five Serie A matches, more than any other Rossoneri player, with centre-back Strahinja Pavlovic next on 55km.

That workload is unusual for a striker and fits the demands Amorim places on his forwards.

Crespo also highlighted those qualities, describing Ramos as a player prepared to sacrifice himself for the collective by linking play, dropping towards the ball, stretching defences and creating room for teammates.

"Ramos works his socks off on the pitch and always puts himself at the team's service," Crespo said.

"It's true that goals are expected from a centre-forward, but you can still be useful without scoring."

That assessment is already visible in Milan's attacking play. Ramos has also registered an assist in Serie A, setting up Adrien Rabiot against Lecce.

Amorim has delivered a similar message during the striker's goal drought.

"Ramos works hard, the goals will come," the Milan coach said after the meeting with Lecce. "He gives a lot to the team."

That does not remove the pressure.

Milan invested a club-record sum in Ramos, and a centre-forward carrying that price will ultimately be expected to score considerably more than once every six matches.

But his first weeks in Italy have also exposed the difficulty in evaluating him purely through that measure.

PSG have already moved on from Ramos by reshaping Luis Enrique's attacking options, while the Portuguese is attempting to establish himself as an undisputed starter for the first time since leaving Benfica.

Crespo expects Ramos to score more as he settles into Amorim's system.

His warning is instead about the standard against which those goals are being measured: Milan may have paid an elite fee, but that does not mean they bought a striker who has ever relied solely on elite scoring numbers.