With transfer dealings coming to an end until the summer scramble, Milan were busy in their bid to reinforce the squad ahead of a push in the second-half of the season. With four new notable arrivals and a handful of departures, have the Rossoneri become a more formidable unit, or have you been left disappointed?

Undoubtedly the biggest acquisition Milan - and perhaps Serie A - made in January was the return of Mario Balotelli. Set to lead the attack for years to come, 'Super Mario' is the biggest and most expensive purchase, but has a lot to prove in order to silence the critics.

"As soon as I got the chance, I ran to Milan. I had wanted to play here for a long time. I hope my important choices can make Milan great and make me great too. I just want the fans to love me and for me to repay that love," he told Milan Channel after touching down in the city.

I've written about his arrival in a previous blog. Now, Balotelli most certainly now has the perfect opportunity to not only mature as an individual on the pitch, but also off it. Never shy to speak of his affection for the club and having been billed as having the potential to be as good as Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo. If Mario doesn’t produce at Milan I can’t see him ever living up to that potential.

Milan vice-president Adriano Galliani said ‘it is a dream come true’ that Balotelli has finally joined the team. With the critics ready to pounce at any opportunity, let’s hope that dream doesn’t turn into a nightmare.

Elsewhere, the inefficiencies in the defence have partly been addressed with the arrival of Cristian Zaccardo and 21-year-old Bartosz Salamon. With Cristian Zapata growing into his role in the heart of the defence, have the Rossoneri solved the problem by introducing a mix of youth, experience and versatility with the new duo? Or is there still work to be done in the summer?

Milan also secured 21-year-old Riccardo Saponara, who will join in the summer, as they continue to build a squad that can represent the club for the next decade. Like Salamon, Saponara has yet to be tested at the highest level, but they are certainly intriguing purchases that fall in line with the new strategy.

The Rossoneri also bid farewell to a number of players last month. After years of frustration and an inability to perform consistently, Alexandre Pato left the club for Corinthians. While arguably providing the funds that eventually went toward securing Balotelli, it will still be a source of great frustration the Brazilian failed to deliver.

Also, having bemoaned the number of players in his squad, manager Massimiliano Allegri seemingly got his wish to offload a few others. Francesco Acerbi, perhaps slightly unfairly, was ditched and has re-joined Chievo, while Rodney Strasser, Djamel Mesbah, Urby Emanuelson, Adria Carmona and Ferdinando Coppola have all left on a mixture of permanent and loan deals.

So, on a scale of 1-10, how would you rate Milan’s January mercato? Who is the most promising arrival, and where do Milan look to in the summer?

For all the latest Milan and Serie A news, you can follow me on Twitter @italiafooty

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