Yacine Adli has shed some light on his AC Milan exit, confirming that his heart was set on remaining at the club.
Earlier in September, Al-Shabab confirmed that they had signed the midfielder from Milan on a permanent deal that is rumoured to be about €8m. It brought an end to a troubled time for Adli, who never really established himself as a key player at Milan.
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The Frenchman spent last season on loan with Fiorentina, where he amassed five goals and seven assists in 35 games across all competitions. Matteo Moretto recently revealed that Adli told Fiorentina not to buy him, because he wanted to fight for a spot at Milan.
‘They wanted to sell me’
Adli gave an interview to L’Equipe in which he spoke about his summer move to the Saudi Pro League and what led to him leaving Milan, confirming that he didn’t want to go.
How did the Milan exit come about?
“I absolutely wanted to stay at Milan, but unfortunately the club decided I was no longer part of their plans. So my preparation was a bit fragmented, given that I was out of the squad and they wanted to sell me.
“I received many other offers, especially in Italy, but also from some clubs in England and France. And then I had this opportunity, which I thought was the best for my family.”
What can you tell us about the Saudi league?
“It’s true there’s a lot of money, but it’s a growing league, and it’s also becoming attractive because of its competitiveness. We’re not yet at the level of the European leagues, but the gap is closing.”
Do you have national team hopes?
“One of my goals is definitely to play for the national team. Algeria or France? I said I wanted to play for France, and from that moment on, I could never change my mind. There’s no chance.”
Adli is a nice guy, very professional, has never complained, always worked hard, was beloved by teammates for being very convivial, and was a true milanista and a very classy gentleman. So, for these great human qualities, he was an idol for a segment of the Milan fan base.
However, truth must be told, he was at best a mediocre player for the level required for a midfielder in one of the major Serie A clubs. This is undeniable. It is sufficient to compare with the current Milan midfield, where most players are a light year ahead of Adli in terms of footballing skills.
Although I always admired him for his personal qualities, Adli never impressed me as a footballer, and I was appalled at the wildly optimistic assessment of his skills that he received from a segment of the fan base, including here on SempreMilan.
It’s also undeniable that several professional head coaches were unimpressed too, and did not want Adli as part of their plans. Don’t these professionals know better than keyboard warriors here???
I wish him all the best. It is indeed good for his family that he is earning 7 million per year in Saudi Arabia, so that he will be set for life in the matter of supporting his family. This level of earnings would never be achieved by a player of his moderate skills, in Europe. So, although it is sad that he wanted to stay and was forced out, it is good for him that he is getting all this money, and it was the best decision both for him and for the club.
Sure, we loved Adli for his personal qualities, but a football club is not a social club where the personal side is more important, or a charity. A football club must aim for the highest level of footballing quality that it can afford in terms of signing and keeping players.
It was good for Milan that midfielders like Adli, Musah, and Bennacer (the latter only declined after his injuries but lately was a shadow of his former self) are gone, and we currently have Modric, Rabiot, Fofana, Jashari, RLC, and Ricci, all players who are vastly superior to Adli as midfield footballers.
And for the Adli fans out there, don’t even think of saying that Adli is better than the two midfielders we have who are a bit less good than the other four, RLC and Fofana. Uh, nope, they are both much better than Adli. It’s not for nothing that they are both members of the national teams of England and France, although not as starters, unlike Adli. I’d even say that the jury is out on whether Fofana is worse than Ricci. They are both a bit irregular. Sometimes Fofana plays very well and appears better than Ricci (like last game), while at other times it is the other way around (like in some games that preceded last game). RLC can also be an irregular player, but lately he’s clearly growing, as evidenced by his recent return to his national team. All three are better than Adli; Jashari is also better with way more potential, and don’t even get me started on world-class Modric and Rabiot.
Good luck, Adli, but no, you’re not a player who is currently needed at AC Milan, and the Saudi league is the right place for you.
You’re not a coach and you’re having such an unnecessary assessment on an emerging player.
Look at Rodri and Dembele. Nobody really knows tomorrow except totally ignorant people like you
“I received many other offers, especially in Italy, but also from some clubs in England and France. And then I had this opportunity, which I thought was the best for my family.”
“It’s true there’s a lot of money, but it’s a growing league, and it’s also becoming attractive because of its competitiveness. We’re not yet at the level of the European leagues, but the gap is closing.”
So he is sincere and admits he went to Saudi just for the money.
Nothing wrong with that.
The clubs that wanted him most likely would have been at best perpetual mid table sides in the EPL, where the average annual salary at an average team for an average STARTING player would be about €3 million. That figure would drop to about €2 million for Serie A and €1 million for Ligue Un (France).
It’s not clear to me that he would have done well with the extremely physical and fast paced style of play in England, and I doubt he could have commanded an average starter’s salary there for long.
He could have continued to do OK in Italy or in France, but the only team he wanted in Italy was Milan.
So, what is wrong with making €7million versus his other options?
Once you look at the actual figures, yeah, it goes way beyond, oh, “he went to Saudi just for the money.”
“So he is sincere and admits he went to Saudi just for the money.”
EVERYONE goes there for the money. The ones who say otherwise are pathetic liers.
No chance for him to break into our current midfield. I’m already wondering how Jashari will get any mins when he returns.
You’re a true Milanese 🥰🤝
@ Luigi, I agree 100%. Also, Fofana is clearly playing better football than Ricci and is rightfully in the squad ahead of him.