AC Milan have taken on an increasingly French influence in recent years, and that particular market seems to be of interest to the club in view of the summer as well.
A look down the current Milan squad tells a story. Mike Maignan and Rafael Leao are among the best in the world in their position, and both arrived from Lille. Pierre Kalulu came from Lyon, Yacine Adli joined from Bordeaux, while Olivier Giroud and Ismael Bennacer have spent time in France too.
With the summer transfer window getting closer and closer, reports have suggested that the Rossoneri are again looking to Ligue 1 to plug some gaps in the current squad.
Moncada’s methodology
The then chief scout and now technical director Geoffrey Moncada gave an interesting interview with L’Equipe in which he highlighted why he likes focusing so much on players from his native land.
“I saw Strasbourg-Troyes, there were young players like Odobert (18), Diarra (19) and Doukouré (19) who were starters. It’s not a normal thing. I travel a lot and I see that the strongest market is the French one,” he said.
“I’m not crazy about the Brazilian one: it’s too expensive and involves difficulties in adapting. In France, the market is incredible: in every club there are interesting players. I see that teams also buy abroad, but this doesn’t work very well and then they put on the field the products of their youth sectors.
“Rennes bought Doku and Sulemana, who are good players, but in the end Doué (17 years old), Kalimuendo (20) and Ugochukwu (18) play instead. Monaco took Boadu and Minamino, but it’s the 17-year-old Seghir who plays.
“In Lyon, fortunately they have Gusto (19 years), Lukeba (20) and Cherki (19): they are the ones who the foreign scouts come to see, not the others. You cannot imagine the number of scouts who come to France. Many foreign clubs have two scouts in the country, one for the North and one for the South.”
Moncada was asked about the notion that – compared to other European countries – France works in a different way with young players, perhaps giving them more time and faith.
“In France, clubs have the desire to bring out players more than winning youth competitions. A club like Angers puts its best young players directly in the first team.
“The example of the Coppa Gambardella is surprising: it is the cup of the best under 19s. Most of the time it is not the top clubs that are represented, while in Italy the big clubs must always be present. In the Coppa Gambardella they barely show the final, while the Italian Primavera championship is all broadcast on TV.
“There is pressure. Juventus, Milan or Inter must win it, otherwise they will be criticised by the press. In this Youth League year, Marseille were demolished (4 draws and 2 defeats), but there was no talk of it.
“We at Milan have not lost a single game (4 wins and two draws) and there were several articles saying that he we respected the competition and gave a good image of Italy.
“I don’t know if French players are more ready than others, but in general they are not afraid. A Spaniard, an Italian or a German is afraid of failing. When I talk to Mike Maignan, he has no pressure, he just plays.
“It could be our mentality. In Italy, if a young player makes a mistake, they immediately say he’s not ready and he’ll stay on the bench for a while. Not in France.”
Scene set for the summer
With Moncada now the technical director at Milan, he has even more say than he did at the time of that interview and it is thus logical to imagine that the club might dip back into the Ligue 1 market.
The reports that have been circulating in the media have certainly reinforced this idea, with various players mentioned as targets hailing from the league across the Alps.
Youssouf Fofana
It has been reported by La Gazzetta dello Sport that Milan believe that Fofana is the right sort of midfielder to offer more stability next season as he is defensively minded. He is going to be out of contract with Monaco in the summer of 2025 and they want €30m, but €20m could be enough.
The player is said to be interested in making the move but he may need to make a decision very soon. He is expected to be in the France squad for Euro 2024 and Didier Deschamps has asked his players to try and finalise any transfer confusion before the tournament in Germany begins.
Khephren Thuram
The same source claimed recently that Milan are also after Marcus Thuram’s brother, who is a leader for Nice, and a new entry to Didier Deschamps’ national team. Today he has a market value of €40m, but with the advantage of a contract expiring in the summer of 2025 which makes him master of his own destiny.
The disadvantage is the international competition, with the usual Premier League teams interested, and that could make things a bit more difficult for Geoffrey Moncada and his team. However, he is another from France to have caught the eye.
Ibrahima Sissoko
Rounding off the trio of defensive midfielders we come to Sissoko, who Calciomercato.com said a few days ago is someone that Moncada has kept on his list given that the Diavolo have been scouting him for a few years.
Sissoko is entering his prime years given that he is 26 years of age and his deal runs out in June making him a free transfer opportunity. He has made 25 appearances across all competitions this season, with three assists.
Lilian Brassier
Given that Simon Kjaer’s deal runs out at the end of the season and the other options like Pierre Kalulu and Malick Thiaw have spent a long time out injured, it is perhaps no surprise to learn that Milan want a new centre-back.
It has been repeatedly reported by La Gazzetta – most recently late last month – that Milan have Brassier on their list. The Brest defender also has a deal which runs out in June 2025 which lowers his price tag, and he has 26 appearances under his belt in 2023-24.
Jonathan David
It is fairly well known that Milan have held interest in David for several years, but they have never taken the final step in acquiring the Canadian. This summer, though, they have the chance to do so for a ‘bargain’ price.
David, whose contract expires in 2025, will be available for €30m or less as per reports, which presents the club with an incredible opportunity. Not only would they be getting a proven goalscorer who is now back in form, but he can play across the front three too.
Akor Adams
Milan have been linked with a number of different strikers in view of the summer transfer window and Adams is one of them, given he scored seven goals in his first 11 Ligue 1 games of the season. He has gone a bit cold since, but remains an interesting profile.
Not only that, but MilanNews managed to get an interview with Adams in which they asked him about the links with the Rossoneri, and it would be fair to say that he came across as flattered.
Other names
If we expand the discussion to players that were linked in view of last summer – and those links sometimes come full circle – there are various other names that have been thrown out there.
For example, a report in France claimed that Milan are one of the sides interested in RC Lens centre-back Facundo Medina, while his team-mates Kevin Danso and Seko Fofana were also concretely linked.
Montpellier forward Elye Wahi has been mentioned by various sources, plus Lille winger Edon Zhegrova, Algerian youngster Badredine Bouanani of OGC Nice and Rayan Cherki of Lyon.
In conclusion, it seems as though Milan are now inseparable from the French market. It may be that none of the aforementioned players arrive, yet the previous business done suggests there might well be a few crumbs of truth.
