GdS: ‘An arrow for Milan’ – how the signing of Moreira was ‘wrapped up in a flash’

AC Milan have pulled off another shock coup by the looks of things, with a deal agreed in rapid time for Diego Moreira.

La Gazzetta dello Sport (seen below) begin their report by describing it as ‘a major move – in every sense of the word – because it was costly, unexpected, and sudden’. After more than a month of inactivity, Milan’s transfer market suddenly sprang to life with Moreira.

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This wasn’t just a vague idea or casual interest: the deal was ‘wrapped up in a flash‘, with a €45m payment (plus bonuses) made to Strasbourg to quickly secure the French club’s approval. There wasn’t much to discuss with the player, who had previously been courted by RB Leipzig and Roma.

Moreira had recently posted photos on social media of himself training in a Milan shirt, belonging to his friend Saelemaekers. So, he gave the green light the moment he heard the name Milan and everything was finalised in a heartbeat.

It was much like the Gonçalo Ramos situation in June, confirming that under Gerry Cardinale’s new regime, there is little time for delaying. Once a target is identified, the club moves swiftly. With Mario Gila and Sankhoun Diawara, the spending spree has already hit the €150m mark.

All this has taken place without yet bringing in revenue from player sales, aside from the permanent signings following loan spells (Pobega, Jimenez, Morata, Colombo) and proceeds from past deals (Tonali, Reijnders).

Touchdown at noon

Moreira is set to land at Linate Airport around noon today. His first day in Milan will continue with medical examinations and, in all likelihood, the signing of a contract tying him to Milan until 2031.

His salary will rise from the €700,000 a year he earned in France to the approximately €3m net per season offered by the Rossoneri. The 22-year-old winger will thus bolster the Belgian contingent at Milanello, which already includes Saelemaekers and Koni De Winter.

The three were team-mates on the national team during the World Cup campaign. However, Moreira also has a background with Portugal’s U21 squad.

His heritage is a fascinating mix, with football running deep in his blood: his father, Almami, was a Guinea-Bissau international, while on his mother’s side, he is the nephew of Helmut Graf, an Austrian player-turned-coach.

Diego was born in Liège, Belgium, but moved to Lisbon at 16 to join Benfica’s youth academy. It was there that he made his professional debut, having also shone in the Youth League campaign won with the Eagles.

In 2023, he signed for Chelsea, followed by a loan to Lyon and a subsequent move to the Blues’ satellite club, Strasbourg. That is where Moreira truly blossomed: six goals and 14 assists over the last two French league seasons.

He has been used extensively both as a wing-back and as an out-and-out winger. The time to discuss how Amorim will use him will come soon. For now, there is a contract waiting to be signed.