Mazzara: Six players could leave as Milan aim to free spots for signings – the names

By Oliver Fisher -

After a few weeks where very little happened, AC Milan’s summer transfer window finally has lift-off and there is more movement expected this weak.

According to what is being reported by Pietro Mazzara in his latest column for MilanNews, the next 72 hours should yield developments on a number of different targets that the management have identified.

Talks will be held over Lazar Samardzic while discussions will resume with Monaco for Youssouf Fofana and with Borussia Dortmund for Niclas Fullkrug. Milan also want to close the deal for Stranhija Pavlovic, for around €18-20m.

However, these incomings mean that some players must say goodbye, both to free spots in their respective departments but also to raise money and free up wages. Yacine Adli and Tommaso Pobega are ‘for sale’, as per Mazzara, as is Alexis Saelemaekers.

Regarding the Belgian, the latest rumour suggested that Antonio Conte wants him at Napoli – presumably as a wing-back – but the journalist states that the Rossoneri are waiting and hoping for offers from the Premier League.

Alessandro Florenzi is on his way out, given that his contract will not be renewed, while the situations for both Fode Ballo-Touré (who is waiting for offers from the Premier League) and Divock Origi are at a standstill.

Tags AC Milan Alessandro Florenzi Alexis Saelemaekers Divock Origi Fode Ballo-Toure Tommaso Pobega Yacine Adli

22 Comments

    1. Has Pobega cost us any goals?

      I can think of three goals conceded directly by Adli as well as the fact that whenever he played opposition teams were able to saunter through our midfield.

      Meanwhile on the ball I’ve never seen a football player outside of my lunch time 5-a-side team that holds onto the ball as long as he does.

      But he did hit a nice pass or two.

      Pobega, a youth player which should see him be given the benefit of doubt, who has also barely played (therefore not sure what you’re basing your judgment on) has generally been ok when he has played scoring and keeping things simple (something Adli could learn from).

      1. It’s based on the fact that he’s one of the slowest players I’ve ever seen in my life, he’s always behind in his interventions, no forward passing abilities whatsoever. Adli has never been a mezzala and he did his best, my judgement was on technical skills where I see Adli playing in different roles and still can improve, Pobega for me is a Torino level player at most!

        1. If speed is the key for you then Adli is the antithesis of everything you believe in!

          Adli’s position is no excuse especially as from a deeper position he should’ve seen passes sooner with the pitch ahead of him.

          As for Pobega I thought he did ok positionally for example when he came on in champions league games..

      2. More like 7-8 goals…PSG, Emery just flew by him, he stopped running and he passed it across for a goal. Dortmund, he couldn’t stay with Adeyemi. Game losing goal vs Atalanta. Bad give away against Sassuolo followed 2 minutes later by a bad give away where they ruined a 4v1… The marking on the corner vs. Inter…I know there are at least 2 or 3 more, but its hard to watch.

        1. Wow you must have had Pobega cam on (and missed all the other f ups from the rest of the midfield).

          Where’s your criticism of Reijnders on the first goal conceded against PSG?

          And there’s some serious tenuous connections between Pobega and those goals.

          We conceded 69 goals in 52 games and Pobega was only involved in 15 of those mostly for minutes at a time.

          I’m sure you had a player cam on all the others who you give free passes to because, I don’t know, the more connection a player has to a club the more they seem to be disliked. As you do.

      3. Pobega is terrible. Zero control, slow as molasses, zero creativity, poor ball control, and no vision. Shall I go on??

        The only reason you rate him is because he is Italian. If he wasn’t you would be screaming to sell. Assil has shown much much more (in a NEW position) than Slowbega has in all the time we’ve had him

        1. Are these based off FIFA stats or real life given you’re describing an actual top level football player?

          Unless you think just anyone can make it through one of the best youth academies on the planet?

          Players who apparently have no ability to control the ball???

          Listen to yourself.

          Listen to the confidence that you declare a player not to meet some completely arbitrary level.

          Pobega barely played last season or since he’s been at Milan so it’s difficult to see how anyone could make a judgment on him.

          And then I see so free passes given to other players, mostly blow ins, endless excuses about how this player was played out of position or that player just wasn’t understood, whilst reserving the highest possible standards for a squad player from our youth team,

  1. Here’s the list I pulled together at the end of last season.

    Here we go….all 43 (excluding some real randomers):

    Mike Maignan
    Marco Sportiello
    Lapo Nava LOAN
    Antonio Mirante
    Devis Vásquez SELL
    Marco Pellegrino SELL
    Davide Calabria
    Fodé Ballo-Touré SELL
    Davide Bartesaghi LOAN (see below)
    Théo Hernandez
    Pierre Kalulu
    Fikayo Tomori
    Simon Kjær I WANTED TO KEEP FOR EXPERIENCE AND LEADERSHIP
    Malick Thiaw
    Mattia Caldara RELEASE
    Filippo Terracciano LOAN
    Alessandro Florenzi
    Matteo Gabbia
    Álex Jiménez I WANTED SEND BACK TO REAL BUT WE’VE SIGNED SO NOW NEED TO LOAN BARTESAGHI
    Jan-Carlo Simić LOAN
    Ismaël Bennacer
    Rade Krunić SORRY SELL
    Yacine Adli SELL PLEASE
    Ruben Loftus-Cheek
    Tijjani Reijnders
    Tommaso Pobega SORRY SELL
    Yunus Musah LAST CHANCE
    Olivier Giroud THANKS FOR EVERYTHING
    Rafael Leão
    Christian Pulisic
    Luka Jović RELEASE
    Noah Okafor
    Samuel Chukwueze
    Daniel Maldini SELL
    Junior Messias SELL
    Charles De Ketelaere SELL
    Marko Lazetić SELL
    Alexis Saelemaekers SELL
    Lorenzo Colombo SELL
    Divock Origi SELL
    Emil Roback SELL
    Luka Romero SELL
    Chaka Traorè SELL

    That would give us a squad of about 22 (excluding youth players) if we added a DM and CF (Morata tick):

    Mike Maignan
    Marco Sportiello
    Antonio Mirante
    Álex Jiménez
    Davide Calabria
    Théo Hernandez
    Pierre Kalulu
    Fikayo Tomori
    Malick Thiaw
    Alessandro Florenzi
    Matteo Gabbia
    Ismaël Bennacer
    DM
    Ruben Loftus-Cheek
    Tijjani Reijnders
    Yunus Musah
    Rafael Leão
    Christian Pulisic
    Noah Okafor
    Samuel Chukwueze
    ALVARO MORATA

    Shame we didn’t go for Amadou Onana for DM.

    Hjulmand could be an option.

    1. Looking at that list Mirante is already released so he should be replaced by Torriani who was good in the last game. Since hes a primavera player he can be added freely to squad list if needed. Same for Jimenez, Zeroli, Camarda etc so no need to include them in the 22 man non primavera/Milan Futuro list

      Jovic should be added to that list as they made it clear they want 3 attackers. Either Fullkrug arrive or Colombo stays as Fonseca seems intrigued by him and have asked for more time to evaluate him?

      Terraciano they seem to want to keep for his versatility?

      Fofana and Pavlovic seems certain to arrive but Samardzics arrival seems dependant on Adli/Florenzi/Pobega leaving?

      The 22 man list would be-

      Mike Maignan
      Marco Sportiello
      Filippo Terracciano
      Davide Calabria
      Théo Hernandez
      Pierre Kalulu
      Fikayo Tomori
      Malick Thiaw
      STRAHINJA PAVLOIC
      Matteo Gabbia
      Ismaël Bennacer
      YOUSSOUF FOFANA
      Ruben Loftus-Cheek
      Tijjani Reijnders
      Yunus Musah
      Rafael Leão
      Christian Pulisic
      Noah Okafor
      Samuel Chukwueze
      Luka Jovic
      ALVARO MORATA
      Colombo or FULLKRUG

      Then you have the primavera/Milan Futuro players that can be added to that.

      I think those 22 are to expect for the first team. Then Im guessing one of Adli/Pobega/Florenzi will be added if they cant get rid of them all. If they manage to offload all 3 I think Samardzic will arrive.

      Saelsmaekers they will manage to sell since hes hot on the market.

      So then its a 23 man squad + primavera/Milan Futuroplayers

      1. It’s not about who can be added freely or whatever.

        It’s about having an actual plan to integrate our youth players which can only happen if we give them space.

        This is what Real Madrid and Barcelona do.

        A CF blocks/disrupts Morata/Okafor/Camarda.

        Every time we’ve signed multiple players for one position one or all of them have failed .

        We don’t need another CB. That is an insult to Gabbia who came back in last season and was our best defender.

        Fofana is not a DM. He’s another box to box when we have 4. We need someone who’ll hold.

        1. We’ll need a CB if Simic and Pellegrino leave. It seems to be the case at least one will. But it’s also failure on management/ scouting work/planning.
          And I agree that we don’t need another striker. It just muddies things as it stands. It baffles me we’re going after another striker tbh.

          1. We don’t.

            We need max 3-4 CBs as Kalulu can also play CB.

            Any more will mean we’ll struggle to establish a CB partnership which will mean they’ll all fall.

  2. I would keep
    Adli
    Pogeba (still young, hardly played)
    Florenzi (good sub)

    Milan should keep all Italians. They deserve it! They are good enough. Again Milan bosses failed to sign one good Italian instead of all the foreigners for the first 11.

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