Massimiliano Allegri has done well to promote talents at AC Milan this season, as highlighted by a report, with a certain trio now becoming increasingly important for the team.
As stated by today’s edition of Gazzetta dello Sport (see featured image), the list of youngsters that Allegri has launched in his coaching career is growing. Virtually every season, he’s taken a chance on a young player, if not several of them.
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Marchetti, Astori, and Nainggolan are examples from his time at Cagliari, while Merkel, Cristante, Petagna and De Sciglio can be mentioned from his time at Milan. Not to mention Kean, Nicolussi Caviglia, Soulé, Miretti, Iling Jr and Barrenechea at Juventus.
The 2025-26 season, as such, is a continuation of his usual work. Davide Bartesaghi has cemented himself in the starting eleven, Zachary Athekame has put in some strong performances, and Koni De Winter is proving to be a regular at a top club.
Bartesaghi earns imminent pay rise
Starting with Bartesaghi, he made his professional debut on September 23, 2023, when Stefano Pioli gave him the chance against Hellas Verona. The season after that, he amassed seven appearances between Paulo Fonseca and Sergio Conceicao, gaining valuable experience.
This season has been the big breakthrough, though, effectively replacing Theo Hernandez on the left-hand side. He has had both good and bad moments, but it’s the highs that have truly excited Milan, such as the brace against Sassuolo in December.
Gennaro Gattuso is now watching on with interest ahead of Italy’s World Cup play-off games in March, even if a call-up seems unlikely. The fact that he’s even in consideration, however, says a lot about how good this season has been.
Bartesaghi renewed his contract with Milan last summer until 2030, but a pay rise is on the cards and that should extend the deadline as well. In short, the Rossoneri will continue to put all of their focus on him, with Pervis Estupinan remaining on the bench.
De Winter rises through the ranks
Another player who has definitely made a big leap lately is De Winter. Allegri knew him well from his time at Juventus, having fielded him twice in the Champions League in 2021-22 against Chelsea (as a substitute) and against Malmö (as a starter).
The following season, he went on loan to Empoli and then moved to Genoa, while Milan obviously came knocking last summer. There were some initial difficulties, such as the poor display in the Supercoppa Italiana semi-final, but Allegri never lost hope.
Indeed, since then, he has started seven of the last eight Serie A games. Concentration doesn’t seem to be much of an issue anymore, and wearing the Milan jersey is less of a burden. He confirmed this when he had to replace Fikayo Tomori and Strahinja Pavlovic. He’s a key figure for Milan at the back.
Athekame takes his chance
Finally, we have Athekame, the former Young Boys wing-back. He has made 16 appearances so far but only two of them were from start. The most recent one was on Tuesday against Bologna, in which he was among the best with his crosses from the right.
The Swiss international also has a goal on his account, more specifically the one that sealed the 2-2 draw against Pisa. Brought in as a replacement for Saelemaekers, it was the intuition of the sporting director Igli Tare.
As opposed to the other two, he hasn’t been able to show as much but there is a lot of time, especially if he were to get more consistent minutes in this season finale.
Streching it pretty long for that one huh? Fielding a 23 year old a few games is not promoting youngsters. Barthesaghi and Athekame is the only youngster promoted, and Atkekame have “only” played 264 minutes in the league, which isnt alot concidering Saelesmaekers have needed alot more rest.
Promoting youth is when you let 17-18 year olds get regular minutes to grow, like Barcelona do.
We have sent away (sold or loaned out) Jimenez, Camarda, Liberali, Zeroli and Comotto to mention some very promising youth players.
Torriani, who could be a new Donnarumma, have been given very little time on the pitch as well.
When we are back out in Europe and will have 3 competitions to play next season, I really hope more youngsters get more minutes.
Would love to see Camarda, Comotto, Odogu and Torriani get at least 400-500 minutes with the first team in a season with Milan.
Next season Torriani could be the first backup to Maignan, Camarda one of 5 attackers, Comotto one of 5 mezzalas, Odogu one of 6 CBs rotating.
You can only have 17 non homegrown players in the squad anyway so you need own youth players to fill out the ranks for rotation.
I agree 100%
Of course you will agree with your fellow full time housewife. Nothing pleases you people.
As usual, some posters here overestimate what young players can do. Like Barcelona? How many 17-18 y.o. tremendous players who can start for a team of Barcelona’s stature, exist in the world? At most a handful. Not every kid is a Yamal. Look at the rule, not the exception. Currently I can only think of ONE other player who is somewhat close to Yamal’s level: that’s Chelsea’s Estevao. Real’s Endrick at one point seemed to be able to reach that level but then he didn’t really develop into that; Ancelotti repeatedly said he wasn’t ready and he was eventually loaned to Lyon.
The VAST (as in, several thousand around the world) majority of youth players don’t yet have what it takes to succeed in one of the top teams of the top five European leagues. There are huge obstacles and intangibles. Muscle development, psychological maturity to withstand the pressure, size when facing grown men, strong support network and so on.
Then you mention our youngsters on loan or sold. Let’s look at Liberali. He had ONE good PRE-season, then he was a huge disappointment for Futuro (which was, then, a Serie C team that eventually got relegated to Serie D), having an endless stream of bad games. When sold, only a Serie B team took an interest. Not even for a loan, no Serie A team got interested. There’s a reason for that.
Camarda was loaned to Lecce, a bottom feeder team. He scored a grand total of ONE goal and was never considered to be starting material, even there.
What makes you think that Liberali and Camarda were ready for one of the top teams in Serie A?
Zeroli is OK but hardly a genius. He will probably eventually become a mid-range midfielder. I actually think that Comotto looks more promising than Zeroli.
Torriani does show promise. However he is in a club that has Mike Maignan, one of the best goalkeepers in the world, a starter for one of the top national teams, a truly world-class keeper. That’s too much competition to grant minutes to Torriani when Milan is in a dog fight to make the Champions League again. It is already remarkable that Torriani is the third goalkeeper for one of the most prestigious clubs in the world, where he can train daily under the guidance of Maignan and of Milan’s excellent goalkeeper coach. He’ll be fine; his time will eventually come (needs more muscle development; very skinny kid).
Odogu when he was hired, had played a grand total of 3 professional games (in a lesser league) in his career. Do you really think he’s ready? Allegri as you have noticed, did not hesitate in promoting Bartesaghi (another exception); so he’s not prejudiced against young players. However he never thought that Odogu was ready. Do you think you know better than a hugely experienced head coach who works with these players daily? There’s a reason why he hasn’t promoted Odogu (while he did promote Bartesaghi: it’s because unlike Davide, Odogu is not ready and at this point is more suited for Futuro.
Yes, Comotto shows promise. Whether or not his potential will be fulfilled remains to be seen. Just look at Liberali: promising at one point, then a bust.
Sure, young players need minutes; that’s precisely why Milan invested in a U-23 second team (Futuro) and that’s why loans exist. Not necessarily, those minutes should be with the first team of one of the top teams in one of the top leagues that is desperately trying to remain in the top 4 spots (two seasons away from the UCL would spell disaster).
Yes, Athekame and De Winter are doing well, but also, that’s in part because we have a very short roster this season. If we had a full supplement of experienced high-level defenders, then likely Athekame and De Winter would find a more diminished role.
Allow the kids to develop at an appropriate pace. Throwing them into the first team with expectations that are too high, is a sure way to burn them out.
I think you’re slightly contradicting yourself.
Yes youth needs time and they also need opportunities.
Liberali made his first start in Serie B last week and got an assist.
He started his 2nd serie B game today and scored the first goal in a 2-0 win.
He is only 18 yo.
He has always ll been a top talent at every youth level for club and country.
No doubt he will continue to shine with time and opportunity
Oh, Liberali is doing well in Serie B? That’s because his true level is Serie B. I’ve seen him play in person with the first team and on streaming with Futuro. Sorry, not impressed. For me, he will more likely be a mediocre player with limited success.
“a top talent at every youth level for club and country” – Nope. He failed miserably with Futuro, in Serie C!!!! And regarding youth national teams, do the following exercise. Look at every top football country in the world in the last several decades. Compare the roster of their youth national team at a point in time, to the roster of their senior national team 10 or 15 years later. You will see that the overlap is MINIMAL. Only a few, very few exceptions survive promising starts for a youth national team, into a place with the senior national team ten or fifteen years later.
When you read the roster of a youth national team ten or fifteen years earlier, you will read a bunch of names you won’t even recognize, because they never made it, and dropped out to lesser clubs and lesser leagues. Only A FEW exceptions confirm their potential and go on to be true stars for their senior national teams.
“No doubt he will continue to shine with time and opportunity” – that remains to be seen. It’s interesting that 20 professional head coaches in Serie A had no interest whatsoever in signing Liberali, not even on loan. That should tell you something. These are experienced professionals who also have scouts in their clubs, and most clubs are in the lookout for good opportunities to get promising youth who will later became good or will be sold for a good profit. When NOBODY is interested in a particular young player, that tells you something.
Yes, “youth needs time and they also need opportunities.”
Just, these opportunities are better to be had with U-23 second teams, Serie B or C teams, and loans, rather than with the first team of one of the main clubs in the entire world. Then later, yes, if they develop nicely and confirm their potential, then they can be slowly introduced to the first team.
Most attempts to short-circuit this slow development end in disaster.
“Oh, Liberali is doing well in Serie B? That’s because his true level is Serie B”
I find that to be an uncharacteristically ignorant and honestly stupid statement from you.
He is 18, laying S B is absolutely appropriate at this stage of his development and yes he is now breaking into their senior team and has a goal and assist in his first 2 starts, yes he is doing well.
Good luck to the lad
Why on Earth you are making up some nonsense about him not joining a Serie A team makes no sense, not least because these young players have a choice and would rather be owned and play for a Serie B team than be loaned around to clubs that dont own him.
Much like that young Colombian lad who chose to play for Udinese over signing for Milan and loaned out.
Not sure why you hating on the lad, but to be quite honest I thought you were one of the more considered commentators, perhaps not
Not everyone can do it on a cold and rainy night in Stokes
At SJF
1. Why do you equal not being impressed with Liberali’s supposed quality is equal to hating him? I have no emotional feelings about him. Yes, I wish him well, like I wish well to all players (except those who play for Inter, Juve, and Roma, LOL). But looking at exclusively the sporting side, I did watch a number of Futuro games online (also saw him play in person at the stadium) and I thought that Liberali’s performances were subpar, and this, in a Serie C squad that was later relegated to Serie D – that’s not very encouraging for Serie A success. No animosity, just my impression of his skills or lack thereof.
2. By the way, have you actually watched him play in several games like I did? Or are you just going by the hype that some “journalists” threw onto him? Young players are often over-hyped for clicks and attention by “journalists” but the ones who actually do have the quality and show it later in their careers, are unfortunately rare. If all players hyped by “journalists” made it, countries would need 10 national teams to fit everybody, and 200 Serie A teams, instead of one and twenty.
3. Please understand that success in top teams of the top world leagues is the EXCEPTION rather than the rule; thousands, thousands, thousands of players worldwide never make it to this stratospheric level. That is normal; no hatred involved. Playing successfully for the top teams of the top leagues, such as Milan, Inter, PSG, Real, Barcelona, Arsenal, Man City, Bayern Munich, etc, is but for a few among the hundreds of thousands of professional footballers around the world.
4. It’s not that Liberali CHOSE to join a Serie B team rather than a Serie A team, like you pretend. There was no choice. The ONLY team that took an interest in him was a Serie B team. No Serie A team took an interest. He joined the one team that wanted to hire him. It’s not like there was a huge dispute for him with multiple teams interested, and then he picked one. That’s what I was saying, and it should tell you something when professionals are not interested in an individual player.
5. Sure, a goal and an assist for his Serie B team is a good start. I still doubt that he has what it takes to succeed in a top Serie A team.
6. Sure, he’s only 18. Still, these things can be seen. When someone shows promise at 16-17 then fizzles and has a horrendous season with a Serie C team, it may simply mean that the initial promise (remember, in PRE-season games when the opposition were mostly also using youth players) won’t be fulfilled. For his sake, I hope I’m wrong, but I can’t refrain from giving my honest assessment of his skills or lack thereof, based on what I saw. If I’m wrong, then I’m wrong; good for him. Unfortunately, I’m afraid that I’m not wrong.
7. You say he was a top talent for club and country. I said no, he wasn’t a top talent for club, given that he only looked interesting in pre-season, and then failed miserably in Serie C, prompting the club to stop investing in him and selling him to a Serie B team. And country? Like I said, doing well for a YOUTH national team is no guarantee that this will be transferred to SENIOR skills. It happens all the time (it’s actually the rule rather than the exception) that young players seem to do well at first while facing other youth players, then don’t have what it takes to keep succeeding among the grown men, and drop out/disappear. Like I said, compare team rosters for youth national teams with team rosters 10 to 15 years later for the same country’s senior national team, and you will see that the youngsters who at first populated the youth team, mostly did not make it into the senior team a decade or a decade and a half later. It’s because the MINORITY of players have what it takes, despite a good start facing weak competition from other youths.
8. Do you think that Milan is simply in the business of getting rid of some youth players just for the fun of it??? While NOT getting rid of others? There is a reason why Milan stopped investing in Liberali while we continued to invest in Bartesaghi, Camarda, Torriani, Zeroli, and Comotto. It’s because the coaching staff kept feeling positive about these youngsters, but stopped feeling positive about Liberali. Why? Because those players showed MORE quality than Liberali. It’s as simple as that. Does that mean that Milan’s coaching staff hated him? No, it just means that the coaching staff think of the club first, as they should. The club is more important than individual players, and the coaching staff will, naturally, invest in those players they believe in, and stop investing in those players they no longer believe in.
9. I couldn’t care less if you once thought of me as a considered commentator and now you no longer feels this way (apparently, exclusively because I’m not convinced of the quality of a young player discarded by the club, in my opinion for good reason). I’m not here to earn approval, and I couldn’t care less for the approval of some Internet dude. I’m not fishing for your approval. I’m simply expressing my opinion in a thread that has this very topic, like it is my right to do. If you don’t approve of my comments, then stop reading me and stop responding to me. Like I said, I couldn’t care less.