Pierre Kalulu has expressed gratitude to the AC Milan management and the fans as he put pen to paper on a contract extension this afternoon.
Not many people knew exactly what to expect from Kalulu when he arrived for a development fee of around €480k from Lyon in the summer of 2021 having not made a senior appearance yet for the French side.
However, he began to impress in the opportunities he was given under Stefano Pioli initially as a right-back, before eventually forming a centre-back pairing with Fikayo Tomori that played a huge part in the fantastic defensive record in the Scudetto win last season.
Today Kalulu renewed his contract with Milan until 30 June 2027, and MilanNews report that the 22-year-old will get a salary increase from the previous €400,000 net per season to €2m plus bonuses. He spoke to the official channels to react to the news.
How are you at Milan?
“I feel very comfortable. We are like a family. After winning the Scudetto you are more and more proud and proud of this shirt.”
How happy are you with the renewal?
“Very happy. I feel a lot of affection from the fans. I see a great love for me and this leaves you calm and very positive.”
How much do you want to improve further?
“I want to do more and more. I am a person who has the humility to understand when you do things well and when you do them less well. I am very perfectionist and I always think of doing my top on the pitch. The perfect match does not exist, but I always have to improve.”
When did you realise you could be a starter at Milan?
“To be honest, when you are a Milan player, you have to think that you are a starter. Nobody can be happy to be on the bench. If you are competitive, you have to improve on the pitch, prove that you are one of the starters and you must never give up. It was a constant growth.”
Did you think you were going to the World Cup with France?
“I had the hope of being called up for the World Cup. It didn’t happen, I’ll cheer for them. I’m happy for Theo and Giroud’s call-ups.”
How significant have the absences in the defensive department been?
“I understand your question, but for me it’s a bit strange because everyone trains and everyone can play and we know what to do. We have a game system to follow and the players have to do well. There is always the possibility to prove that we are Milan players. I also had to demonstrate. The coach knows change according to the players available and then we go on the pitch.”
Who do you get along best with at Milanello?
“I’m a sunny guy. The French group is the one I joke with the most, even with Tomori who is learning a little French.”
On the change of role…
“I remember that training well. It was two days before Sparta Prague and the coach asked me if I felt like playing left centre-back. I told him that I could also play as a midfielder, attacking midfielder… I wanted to play.”
What is your goal for the next five years?
“The goals are to always do well. First of all we have to think about the match against Fiorentina. If you want to look ahead, you always want to win. It seems trivial, but it is not. When you have won, you want to keep doing it for achieve these great goals.”
What effect does it have on you to talk to Maldini every day?
“It is a very nice and beautiful thing to talk to him every day. Then when it is everyday life, maybe the initial thing passes a bit.”
Who was your idol as a player?
“I watch a lot of games during the week and follow those who are the strongest defenders. But actually as a child I liked attacking players like Zidane and Ronaldinho more. I was fascinated by following them.”
How important was Pioli in your growth?
“He will always be an important person for me, because he gave me the first matches as a professional. He makes you grow a lot, with him you can also talk about your personal life and even in difficulties, he helps you a lot.”
A final greeting to the fans…
“A greeting to thank all of them for the support they give us, both when we win and when we don’t win. This is something that has helped me a lot. Thanks to all of you.”
Very happy for him, for our side too.
Kalulu is one of the great symbols, perhaps even the most significant due to the very low initial value of its transfer fee, of a project that has already proved to be largely successful, even with all its ups and downs.
Forza, Pierra, auguri per te!!!
Great news for Kalulu, Milan and the fans!