Something that did not seem possible a few weeks ago is now likely to happen: Samuel Chukwueze should stay at AC Milan.
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As Calciomercato.com recall, Chukwueze and Ruben Amorim have never worked together in their careers. Nor did they face each other last season, when both were in the Premier League: one was a Fulham player, the other the Manchester United manager.
The first leg, played at the end of August in London, ended 1-1. Amorim was there, but Chukwueze wasn’t: he would join the Cottagers from Milan a few days later, at the end of the summer window. In United’s 3-2 victory in the return game in February, the Portuguese had already been sacked.
However, Amorim clearly knows Chukwueze well, as is only natural for someone who came to England to be a manager, not just a coach. That’s why he seems fully committed to counting on him for next season.
U-turn on Samu?
So, will Chukwueze stay at Milan? Yes, it seems so, and not just because Fulham ultimately decided not to shell out the €24m option to buy they agreed to a year ago when they acquired him from the Rossoneri.
At his unveiling press conference, Amorim also included Chukwueze himself among the topics of conversation with the journalists present, amid talk of a bid from Turkey having arrived.
“Chukwu is staying with us. We need players who can play one-on-one, literally. Saelemaekers can play on the left or right. Cissé and Comotto will start preseason with us, but after that I really have no idea what will happen,” he said.
“But it doesn’t matter where the players come from: if they play well, if they absorb the coaching, and if they have the right qualities to fill that gap, then we’ll find a place within the team. Before we look outside, let’s take a good look inside.
“Then at the end of preseason we’ll see what’s happened, paying close attention to the budget. I think Chukwueze has truly great qualities to be in our team, and he gives us options to play in other systems.”
It will be up to the Portuguese to find him a place on the pitch. This shouldn’t be difficult, considering the former Villarreal player’s characteristics: he’s a left-footed winger who plays on the right, who takes on his man and often cuts back onto his preferred foot, seemingly perfect for the 3-4-2-1.
If there was no place for Chukwueze in Massimiliano Allegri’s 3-5-2, with Amorim the situation is destined to change. The Nigerian – either from the start or during the match – could go to cover the right sided attacking midfielder role.
Amorim’s esteem for Chukwueze will serve as fuel for the winger, especially for one reason: he needs to redeem the first impression he left in Milan, which wasn’t exactly positive after his €28m arrival.
Chukwueze made 23 appearances in the Premier League (26 in total including the English cups), with three goals and four assists. He has made a total of 70 appearances for Milan, scoring eight goals and providing six assists.