AC Milan have had a slow start to the summer transfer window, but with things beginning to heat up and multiple deals in the pipeline the management must have an eye on the regulations.
As Calciomercato.com report, the weekend seems to have brought accelerations on various negotiating tables and now at least two signings seem imminent.
After adding Alvaro Morata for €13m, Geoffrey Moncada and co. are working on Strahinja Pavlovic, Youssouf Fofana, Emerson Royal, Lazar Samardzic and potentially some hidden names too.
Milan must consider the regulations in both the Serie A and UEFA squad lists, as well as the rules when it comes to signing non-EU players, and they have been outlined below.
Serie A rules
The 20 teams participating in the 2024-25 Serie A season are required to present a list of 25 players to be used during the season. Each team can register Under 22 players – or players born after 1 January 2002 – without limits.
Of the 25, at least eight must be players trained in the youth sector of an Italian club and of these eight at least four must be players trained in the club they belong to.
In order to count as an Italian/club youth sector graduate, they must have had permanent registration (loan spells therefore permitted) for at least three complete seasons in Italy between the season in which they turned 15 and the season in which they turned 21.
At present, Milan has only three players who came through Serie A academies: Alessandro Florenzi, Marco Sportiello and Filippo Terracciano. There are also only players trained at the club: Matteo Gabbia, Tommaso Pobega and Davide Calabria.
Yunus Musah and Alex Jimenez can be included among the Under 22s, but it means only 17 players can go on the over 22 list. Presuming the signings of Pavlovic, Emerson and a new midfielder, those excluded would be Yacine Adli, Alexis Saelemaekers, Divock Origi and Fode Ballo-Toure.
In the event of the sale of either Malick Thiaw or Ismael Bennacer, it seems as though the most likely candidate to get a slot would be Saelemaekers, who was publicly praised by Fonseca after the friendly with Manchester City.
UEFA rules
The UEFA list also provides for the registration of 25 players. Under 22s, or those born on or after 1 January 2003, are not counted unless they have been part of the club for two years in a row from the age of 15 onwards and they are included in ‘list B’.
Furthermore, players registered for three years from the ages of 15 to 21, but who have gone on loan and do not have at least three seasons with the club in that age group, do not enter the ‘club trained’ category.
In the Champions League, as in the league, if the team in question is unable to meet the required constraints, the number of 25 players that can be registered is reduced.
The Rossoneri can register Sportiello, Terracciano and Florenzi in the ‘Italian trained’ category, while Gabbia, Calabria and Pobega are Milan academy products.
Consequently, Milan’s total squad spots would be reduced, since there are not the four home-grown players in the squad that are required at the moment.
Non-EU slots
Ever since the year 2002, there has been a regulation in place regarding Serie A clubs and how many non-EU players they are allowed to register per season.
The new changes to the regulations provide that each club can register two non-EU players without the restriction of one being a replacement. Up until and including this season it was possible to register two non-EU players, but one would have to replace a departing non-EU player.
It is important to note that the total quota does not change, meaning each club will still be able to register a maximum of two non-EU players. Selling a non-EU player does not free up a spot for a third new signing, in essence.
Signing Pavlovic, for example, would take up one of the two non-EU slots (Serbia are not in the European Union) and thus the Rossoneri would have one left, while Sky reported that Emerson Royal does not have an EU passport either. Thus, both slots could be gone within a few days.
“while Sky reported that Emerson Royal does not have an EU passport either.” The gift that keeps on giving…..
They’re just going to throw Milan Futuro signings on the list. They signed few average Italians precisely for that loop hole.
Apparently they can’t just do that as those kids are under 22
Not everyone of them as we also have signed 3 players above that age for the Futuro.
Player over age 22 can’t play at both Senior team and Milan futuro team.
If they are to play at Milan Futuro, they can’t be included in First team squad.
The only players that can move
freely between Senior team and futuro team are players under 22 y.o that have less than 50 appearances at Serie A.
You are right AR I think you told me that earlier, my bad.
Player over age 22 can’t play at both Senior team and Milan futuro team.
If they are to play at Milan Futuro, they can’t be included in First team squad.
The only players that can move
freely between Senior team and futuro team are players under 22 y.o that have less than 50 appearances at Serie A.
FINALLY!! Was wondering what took u guys so long. Seems to me all the rumours about players was a big eff it to squad lists LMAO 😂.
Currently we have:
Club trained:
Calabria, Pobega, Colombo*, Maldini*, Gabbia
As.sociation trained: Sportiello, Florenzi**, Terraciano
* Likely to leave
** Injured long term.
Hopefully I didn’t miss anyone. But that leaves us with 3 club trianed. And effectively 2 as.sociation trained.
Third GK will be club trained , i think lapo nava or riveyre. . That shpuld be make four if pobega not leave. FIGC trained i think we should take kayode instead emerson ( also wasting 1 slot non eu )
They can add anyone in U-22 which is trained 3 years at the club regardless playing loaned out to fill that 4 club youth quota. That includes anyone at u-18 that fit that qualification. But it doesn’t mean that those players have to play.
I’ve been thinking, with 5 substitutes allowed post Corona, why don’t FIGC make a rule that 2 of that 5 quota have to be Italian. That way each clubs has 3 substitutes for tactical change + 2 substitutes to nurture Italian youngsters.
Coaches has flexibility to try and win the game and still obligated to enhance they younglings.
Or they can make 4+2, or any combination seems fit.
The GKs are all under 22 so they don’t count.
And some said, “doesn’t matter no italian or homegrown. Most important thing is having good squad, even from Pluto”, which I don’t 100% agree tbh. Problem mentioned like this article is my concern and why I still prefer that Milan also (note: also, not only) sign italian players to avoid this issue, beside also keeping identity as italian club. I am not Italian, but has been supporting Milan since early 90s. So nothing to do with italian pride whatsoever.
In 5 years+ from now maybe it won’t become problem anymore after such as Camarda, Zeroli, Liberali and other young guns already 22+ (and hopefully they can develop and get trust from coach). But since season after scudetto, I have been really concerned about this. I hope it can be solved.
Correct and the club are planning for this. This year’s Primavera only has 3 foreigners and 3 players with dual nationality (Italian-Brazilian, Italian-Moroccan, Italian-Colombian). Futuro has 6 foreigners & some dual nationals. While the racist Moncada doesn’t give Italians a second look, management think differently.
Sooo, they can only sign two out of Pavlovic, Emerson and Samardzic. All three is impossible even if they were to sell Jovic f.ex.
Looks like Smardzic is burned then? (Even thou it should be Emerson).
Adli feels burned too as Pobega have the advantage of being an academy player.
Question is why they arent looking for an italian right back that can count as an italian academy player? Bellanova f.ex. is valued at 15 mil, same as Royale….Kayode is more expensive but is a future star…
Or do Samardzic also have an German passport?
Another important stipulation on the non-EU rules in Serie A: players only count towards the slots if they are coming from a league outside of Italy. Domestic transfers – even if the player is non-EU – don’t take a slot. So, Samardzic is ok (and has a German passport I believe).
Riiiight I forgot about that rule. Thats good news (and that he have an German passport).
Would still preferr Bellanova or Kayode over Emerson thou 😛
no Samardzic is Serbian player so non EU player.and he not good too.Buying him Milan make problem
Samardzic is ok as he comes from Italian club.
Kayode will be more expensive than Emerson. I think the idea is they want experienced cover for Calabria. The defence is very young, there are no veterans in defence.
Find 2 bum Italian players who are free agents and give them minimum contracts just for quota purposes.
Stefano Sensi would be perfect for the job since he would also be useful for keeping Florenzi and Sportiello company in the recovery room.
Now, all you need to find is another bum who is a free agent but grew up in the Milan Primavera. Give Plizzari a call.
Finally, article that make sense.
Have been waiting for you guys to compile and release an article like this. Definitely more useful than a torrent of transfer rumour articles that constantly contradict each other.
All these rules really make my question why we are sending Maldini & Colombo out on loan/sale.
It looks like we cannot make up the ex-academy places that we need to in the squad.
I’d like Saelemaekers to stay but it’s hard to see how he can fit in the squad.
Florenzi as a long term injury becomes difficult to replace as we can’t just bring in a non-italian to replace him
The whole quota thing is BS.
It’s just a box ticking exercise with lots of workarounds.
And most of the people on here just see it as some sort of game.
“We should sign or keep this or that player to reach some quota”
What should actually be about is developing youth players so that Italy can qualify for a World Cup and Milan can have a future as a football as opposed to some empty brand.
And it’s clearly failed, especially in Italy, given the shockingly poor conversion rate from youth team god even to squad player.
Again people on here just seem to prefer rating players as ‘hot’ or ‘not’ rather than questioning why 99.99% of them are ‘not’ (and that’s 99.99% if the 0.01% who actually made it to a youth team).
This is why I suggest the following to replace both quotas and so called financial fair play:
a) squad sizes limited to 25;
b) transfers limited to 3 in the summer and 1 in the winter;
c) loans limited to 1 per career for a minimum of 12 months with no cancellations allow;
d) get rid of all buy backs, loan backs, double shaken cash backs – either back your players or let them go.
Clubs will always want to make profit from player sales, they wonf just release or let them go. They send on loans, sell with buy back in other to make profit in sales when the player improved.. Brahim Diaz as a case study Madrid can now sell for a higher price than when he was With Milan loan with option to buy
I know you don’t have to use every spot and we’ll have around 20 first team players regardless, but it does pay bare the tightrope we’ve been walking when we’d have to leave two wanted players for the first team off the list for the league. Florenzi’s injury has not helped at all here.
Why sell Colombo then
They should have kept Simic
Why let Maldini leave.
They can easily keep Nasti with he senior team to cover up for the space. Or Zeroli to the B list