AC Milan are getting closer to securing a Champions League return, and they have big plans for the squad this summer.
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According to La Gazzetta dello Sport, the head coach Massimiliano Allegri sat down for a lunch with the CEO Giorgio Furlani to begin planning for the future, one which looks increasingly likely to feature playing in Europe’s top club competition.
A year ago, Milan were forced to rebuild after an eighth-place finish that left the team out of Europe, but the squad was streamlined. Now a UCL return looks more likely than unlikely, so how will the proceeds be spent?
One signing per department
Just from qualifying for the Champions League, Milan are aiming to raise revenues €60m as an absolute minimum. This is something Max himself has always emphasised as crucial to the club’s ambitions as well as its financial sustainability.
This money will be reinvested in the team, as per the company’s strategy: whatever comes in from the team is invested in the team itself. The figure could be increased through sales, as well as the cash generated from buy-outs of those out on loan.
One hundred million in deals is the base amount, taking into account only the UEFA revenue and buy-outs. How will the proceeds be reused? A signing for each department, a player who will be a key starter for Milan’s future. Allegri has also received assurances on this matter.
Kean leads the way
Allegri expects the goals in attack to make the team competitive in Europe. Before this season’s disappointments with Fiorentina, Moise Kean was on fire. He had 19 goals (eight this season) in 2024-25 which made him the second-top scorer in last season’s competition.
He also has other traits that fit the coach’s profile: the physicality to compete in duels and the pace for the quick counter-attacks that Max appreciates. The €62m clause (active in the first two weeks of July) currently doesn’t reflect the player’s value: Milan will try negotiate down, and before the World Cup.
Moise would be reunited with Allegri, with whom he worked for three seasons at Juventus, and his friend Rafa Leao, another striker with a passion for rap, with whom he has never partnered on the pitch.
The alternative options at the moment are more in the background: Borussia Dortmund’s Guirassy and of course Dusan Vlahovic, if the contract extension negotiations with Juventus don’t pan out.
Bolstering the best defence
The defence needs reinforcements, despite the season’s numbers currently making it the best in the ‘top five’ European leagues. The Rossoneri have conceded only 20 goals so far, with Allegri turning it from a fragile unit to Italy’s best.
The coach appreciates players who already know the Italian game and are physically strong: that’s why former Napoli player Kim Min-jae – now at Bayern Munich – is among the most sought after. At 29 years old, with a contract expiring in 2028, his price tag doesn’t exceed €30m.
Kim’s German experience has also been more tough than expected: 105 total appearances so far, in three seasons, with five goals scored. In just one year in Napoli, Kim had made 45 appearances and scored two goals. Lazio’s Mario Gila is a viable alternative.
Pulling the strings
Milan are also keeping an eye on another player in Bavaria for the midfield: Leon Goretzka. The 31-year-old is at the end of his contract and will be allowed to leave Bayern on a free transfer this summer.
He has scored 45 goals in his Munich career, making 298 appearances. He also boasts impressive personal achievements: six league titles, seven domestic cups, a Champions League, a European Super Cup and a Club World Cup.
It would be a Luka Modric-style deal: someone with winning experience and technical ability. Speaking of which, the club are confidently awaiting confirmation of Modric’s intention to extend his contract for another year.