AC Milan must resolve their left-back issue this summer, and the ideal solution is to bring in Destiny Udogie for Theo Hernandez, a report claims.
As La Gazzetta dello Sport (seen below) reports this morning, Udogie perfectly fits what Milan are looking for in a potential signing. He is a player accustomed to success, he has experience in Italy, is Italian and at the same time young with potential.
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Udogie won the Europa League as a starter with Tottenham and is just 20 years of age. In other words, the perfect man to take over from Theo Hernandez, who is not part of the plans moving forward even if a sale doesn’t materialise.
Different solutions
Looking around, the Rossoneri gazes stopped in the English capital, where – in addition to Oleksandr Zinchenko, on the Arsenal side of north London – there is Destiny Udogie.
Zinchenko made just 15 appearances in the last Premier League season but still represents a guarantee: he is 28 years old, has made 145 total appearances in the English top flight, 41 in the Champions League and 74 with the Ukrainian national team.
The contract expiring in 2026 is a detail that plays in favour of Milan. At the same time, the club are fascinated by the idea of focusing on a more talented alternative, a European champion who potentially has a much higher ceiling.
Udogie already has a good amount of experience: 66 appearances and two goals for Udinese, 71 games and eight goals in England, plus 90 minutes on the pitch in the last Europa League final against Manchester United.
In addition, there is a career with the Italian national team that is just getting started. The result of all this is that Tottenham are asking for over €30m, which is too high for Milan but a common principle applies: what seems impossible today, can become achievable at the end of August.
Theo slows down
Igli Tare and co. are in no hurry to move. On the contrary, they must first make room by freeing up the lane currently occupied by Theo Hernandez. Once a turbo Theo: surprising in starting at full speed when no one seemed to bet on him.
Arriving as a talent from Real Madrid, Hernandez found success in the red and black, as a protagonist in the Scudetto season and full-back with a record number of goals in Serie A. Then he took his foot off the accelerator in the following years until the season just ended, the worst yet.
Despite this, the Saudi club Al-Hilal came forward for him, ready to offer him a mega contract. It was rejected, because the Frenchman wants to continue playing at the very top level in the prime of his career before thinking about his bank balance.
Hence the hypothesis of a return to Atletico Madrid, where Hernandez developed in the youth teams before moving to the other team of the city. This time it was the clubs that did not reach an economic agreement, with Milan wanting more than offered.
It is not excluded that Atletico will come forward again, but certainly as of today things are quiet. This is why Theo – with a contract expiring next summer and with no desire to renew by the club – is holding back the moves for the time being.
Swapping CL football for domestic only? Probably not…
Theo had 0ne bad season with milan so everybody wants to get rid of him. That is Stupidity in the highest level…. We have one of the best left back in the world and Milan is going to trade him for a average player… Dame that crazy
correct 100%
yeah yeah… Kvara got the treble and Mbappe did what again?!
Theo never defends and wants a salary of 6M… he’s also at his peak, in 2-3 years he won’t be even able to attack… case and point out RB for 2025 – Kyle Walker
I would take Udogie, Cambiasso, DeCuyper, Esputian, Kadiglou, Tavares, Robinson, Mykolenko, Calafiori over him
Zinchenko is also done… no need for Slavic Bennacer
Talk about a bad take…
Theo, “best left back of his generation”, one year left on contract, NO EUROPEAN SUITORS. LOL.
yeah man… such great analysis YOU gave…
If Theo is not defending, it’s you who’s defending all the matches in last 5years.
There was sh*t manager who doesn’t understand the Italian player’s that they don’t have physicality to run up and down 90mins, then you consider he don’t defense for 5years at Milan 😂😂😂😂
You should stop drug’s bro….
Theo was physically, mentally out of shape and started season with preseason training with new manager, even if he doesn’t have all these problems no player in Italy can run up and down especially player like Theo who goes with full engine.
Once there was a manager who understands, what is best in each player and what should team should do in specific cases, that’s the reason Theo and team won scudetto and reached champions league semifinals.
It’s true Theo was bad but if you only want to blame player’s still it’s ok. But no player was called as best left back in the world without defending.
It is also great for future transfers. You know that Milan will not have your back if you get into issues. After 5 good seasons, 1 bad one people at the club leaking bad stuff to the press, trying to make you go to Saudi Arabia with your family, etc.
Real Madrid sold Danilo after an own goal against Celta Virgo which cost them the treble. He didn’t have a bad season just one terrible game. Let that sink in, when you reach a certain level you can’t afford making silly mistakes costing your club big time
hope Theo stay & regain his quality,
but since he’ll not extend contract in this situation, better we prepare..
direct swap w/ Udogie is enough for me, it can happen if we’ve good SD, while we’ve foolani & unproven Tare
Talk is cheap….full backs are not. Milan should get on their knees and put their hands together when they say the name Udogie
Whny? Udogie is crap. He’s not even 10% of Theo at his best.
Pezzela, Parisi, Gallo….all serie A experienced, all cheap, all solid players…..why no links !!?? Why always fancy foreign names or unattainable names like Udogie ??
it’s decoy.. so they can quietly pay some PL backup of bench-warmers or random players from France
Cross out any A-class names you can think of. No Champions League football alone is enough to deter any top-tier players from joining this club.
I’m sorry but none of these players can even tie theos shoes. It’s crazy after what he’s done for the club for everyone to turn on him. He won us the supercoppa this year, bailed us out a lot of games as well and he wasn’t even at his best this season. No other left back will be able to link up with Leao the way he does either, it’s embarrassing some of the names that are being looked at to replace him
Theo, Cut your wage 50%, and prove yourself. that’s only way.