This evening, AC Milan have confirmed that Mattia Liberali has left the club to join Catanzaro in Serie B on a permanent deal.
When Igli Tare first joined Milan, it was reported that sorting out Liberali’s situation was one of his first priorities to solve. But how did this become the case?
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A young attacking midfielder who wowed in America last summer, many expected the Italian to be on the verge of the first team last season. But he wasn’t. Instead, minutes were hard to come by, and his time in the Futuro did not bring up any trees.
Interest was present in him throughout the year, but the Rossoneri remained hopeful of an extension at some point. In fact, even after agreeing on a deal with Catanzaro, the club reportedly offered him a renewal. The damage was already done, though.
Liberali leaves
This evening, the Diavolo have released a short, basic statement to confirm he has left permanently. It could and maybe should have been so different for Liberali. Sometimes, that is the way of life, though.
“AC Milan announces that it has permanently transferred the sporting rights of the footballer Mattia Liberali to US Catanzaro 1929.
“The Club thanks Mattia for his professionalism and wishes him every success in his personal and professional career.”
Babi
Fabrizio Romano @FabrizioRomano
EXCL: Matija Popović leaves Napoli with immediate effect to join Partizan Belgrade.
Free transfer with future sell percentage agreed as Popović leaves the club.
Almost Milan “legend” Matija Popovic back to Partizan after year and a half in Italy where he appeared uninvited.
It would be unwise to write Popovic off this soon as he is still only 19 years old so he clearly still can become a legend not that I personally has ever called him a future AC Milan legend.
On a different matter Liberali really disappoints me as he most likely will end up at one of our rival clubs in a few years just as when Locatelli joined Sassuolo with a view to join Juventus down the road.
I wouldn’t be upset at losing Liberali. After his good pre-season last summer, he regressed rather than progressed. Had a very forgetful season playing for all three Primavera, Futuro and First Team, always disappointing for all three (he didn’t even do well for Primavera!!!). Last time he was with the first team it took him 25 minutes to touch the ball for the first time!
There is a reason why only a Serie B team took an interest in him. There is a reason why Milan permanently sent him to Catanzaro without ever suggesting a loan with a buy-back clause like in the case of Camarda, or a dry loan like in the cases of Comotto, Torriani and Bondo. That’s because the experienced professionals at Milan (Tare, Allegri) don’t see see much of a potential in Liberali while they do see a potential in these other four.
There will always be those here who are fascinated by young players and always assume lots of potential just because they are young, without realizing that only a tiny minority of the thousands and thousands of young players worldwide ever become contributors to important clubs in the top European leagues. Liberali is no Yamal, no Estevão, no Endrick, no Camarda.
I’d trust experienced professionals like Tate and Allegri to see the difference between those with a high ceiling and those with a low one.
If they really thought Liberali had what it takes, it would have been the easiest thing to shield him with a deal that conserved Milan’s control, and there would be Serie A teams interested. That neither of these things happened in his case is all you need to know about his so-called potential.
Well sure he didn’t have the best of seasons but players shouldn’t only be judged on one season and besides of that he was also named amongst the most talented players born in 2007.
Torino wanted him and Atalanta has also fairly recently shown interest in him so I gotta disagree here.
Absolutely but I’ve also always said that most players are bound to fail and its only a small part that succeeds.
I get that but all managements regardless of how good they are also bound to missfire in some of their choices and Tare included.
Not if the player didn’t want to renew and that is what that has been said a lot over the recent months so guess it could be either.
Anyways time will tell whether this is a mistake but I for one wouldn’t be surprised if it turns out as one.
Well, he didn’t go to Torino or Atalanta, did him? He went to Serie B club Catanzaro. Sometimes teams make preliminary inquiries but then look closer and say “nah!”
In any case, like in my other response further down to someone else who questioned that my stance on him was too harsh for a 17-year-old, I have already acknowledged that maybe I’m wrong and he just had an off year but will still shine. Like you said, time will tell. Good luck to him.
Sure that could be the case but according to media reports he seems that he had set his mind strictly on Catanzaro probably because he is more guaranteed minutes and the club probably will be a great candidate for promotion in a years time.
He is actually 18 now but no worries as we are just having a friendly discussion and besides of that I always appreciate reading your comments regardless whether I agree or not as they are always well written.
The young man is good ,but the coach never give him a chance.And ac milan management are asking him to renews his contrat
Locatelli? Please — he was never worthy of wearing the AC Milan shirt to begin with. I always felt his hype outweighed his actual talent. Sure, there were flashes of promise, but nothing that screamed top-tier midfielder. I did see some potential in Liberali, but it seems he didn’t make the leap — probably another case like Hachim Mastour: early buzz, no real progression.
As for Locatelli, I still believe he’s more a product of brilliant agent work than genuine elite ability. Somehow, his camp convinced Juventus he was the answer — and they bought it. In reality, he’s a mid-table Serie A midfielder at best. No standout technique, no dribbling, no vision, and certainly no genius-level passing you’d expect from a central midfielder at Milan or Juve.
In that sense, he’s actually doing Milan a favor — being a burden to Juventus rather than a weapon against us.
You are completely missing my point here as I actually couldn’t care less about Locatelli nowadays but it was about the principle of one of our players forcing a move to a different club just to end up at one of our rivals teams a little down the road.
Locatelli is their Captain and an European championship winner so I’m pretty sure they view it differently but you are obviously in your right to view him as fairly useless or midtable.
If a player was overhyped it was Mastour, no actual football understanding except for being a great juggler and dribbler but has not amounted to anything and has spend his best years in the Moroccan league and even that without any success and now wastes his life in Serie C. In fact that kid was more suited to playing futsal on a Brazilian beach and clearly has far less understanding of what it is that makes you a football player compared to Locatelli.
Tell the whole story why Milan did not sign him.
CM: Unprofessionalism and demands – how the Popovic to Milan deal collapsed
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Oliver Fisher 2 years ago
The agents first tried to put pressure on the club by having the player arrive in Milan without having agreed everything, and then they asked for unreasonably high commissions.
Thank you
It’s clearly made up given he’s just signed for a Serie B side.
So if a Serie B side paid the mysterious commission Milan could’ve.
The agents of the 99.99999% of youth players who won’t make it must all be asking for massive commissions.
That’s obviously the reason.
That and the fact that Italians are biologically less capable of playing football than Belgians.
Another FACT.
Another big talent lost.
The Milan youth team is poorly handled
No, he isn’t. Most of the young players that have left in recent years have done nothing. Liberali is too short, the opposite of a big talent.
Sad. ZERO clue how to develop talent.
I believe there’s internal issues they don’t want to review to the media.
From what we know he never wanted to leave. But they most have told him he’s not more needed for him to zero his mind on leave and deadline trying to gain control of him forcing him to renew before sending him out
Maybe that talent is just not there. Have you noticed how poorly he did this season when he played for all 3 levels, Primavera, Futuro and First Team? He couldn’t even perform well for Primavera! He is a midget, easily bumped by defenders and midfielders. Last time he was called up for the first team, he spent 25 minutes running around like a headless chicken without a single touch on the ball. That’s worse than Musah!!! Compare that with Camarda last time he played for the first team: didn’t score but terrorized the opponents’ defense. Why were two or three Serie A teams interested in having Camarda on loan but only a Serie B team had an interest in Liberali?
Liberali got over-hyped due to just two good showings in friendlies in the USA last pre-season (when opponents had removed their starters and were featuring youth too) then could never repeat those good performances throughout the 2024/25 season in all 3 levels. He was a very mediocre player for all 3. People with real potencial like Camarda and Torriani generally don’t thoroughly fail everywhere for a full year. At least they show some flashes; not Liberali’s case.
Usually a dip in form happens when you’re pushed around the 3 levels. I think even our first team players would do bad if suddenly they’re tossed between teams. No consistency, no stilness, no plan etc. Kind of harsh saying that for a 17 year old don’t you think?
Sure, but wouldn’t he show some flashes of talent at least in some games? Reportedly he did very poorly everywhere and every time.
Confessedly I’m going mostly by reports as I only saw him play three times throughout the year, one for the first team (did nothing) and two for Futuro (did nothing).
The entire Futuro team was pretty bad so maybe it’s not exactly his fault.
Anyway, sure, maybe I’m wrong. Maybe he just had an off year and as a 17-year-old, will still shine. I wish him the best. As of now I’m not convinced that letting him go was the wrong decision but if I’m wrong and he does well in his next endeavors, then good luck to him.
The mysterious talent that doesn’t exist in Italian players but does in Belgians….
What is the secret to Belgians?
Is there something in the water?
This requires urgent attention. All water in Italy must be tested to explain the mysterious collapse of ‘talent’ over the past 20 years.
Hmmm looks like you always compare italian with belgian. Who the belgian in ACM squad you mention? Is that saladmaker ? Or highest transfer fee at his season CDK ? Saladmaker play well in bologna & Roma when he was on loan while CDK score 16 goal with brugge and help atalanta get their first UEL . Liberali need to prove himself at serie A club first before you compared him with belgian
Well the club just signed a Belgian.
So I mentioned Belgium. But it could be any country.
Any country but Italy.
That’s the only criteria.
That’s how you have an Italian club that ends up with no Italians.
Even though the obvious place for Italian clubs to find footballers is Italy.
Just like Belgian clubs have lots of Belgians.
And then remarkably Belgians then do very well.
Hmm.
But it’s not even about nationality. It’s about clubs holding their youth players in contempt. Using them for dodgy money laundering exercise.
There’s no serious attempt to develop them. Just to flip them.
Exactly. He’s far too small. Camarda is a boy in a man’s body. He should, eventually, make the grade.
He was treated unfairly and made his decision to leave and I agree with him.
I do not agree that he did poorly in all three teams. He had his moments. Nevertheless, for me its just a real pity that he did not seem capable to take the last step, because he was a kind of player that Milan, and especially, Italy, sorely lack.
What’s the ‘last step’?
Can he survive the ultimate test – a bunch of kids playing against a bunch of angry men who never made it and coached by a terrible coach?
And if we passed THAT test he gets to do the next one…,can he survive the 15th rebuild of the Milan midfield….
lots of Milanisti always exaggerated when it comes to Milan’s academy player.
In fact, in last 20 years or more, Milan academy only produced 1 world class player in Gianluigi Donnarumma, and 1 european level in Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang.
AC Milan Academy is not good in last 20 years or more. stop exaggerating young players from AC Milan. The coaches see them everyday, they know the real quality of a player.
Yes that’s f’ing normal.
It’s totally f’ing normal for fans of a club to have a close connection with the youth players trained by that club.
It’s wine more f’ing normal for fans of a club in a country to have a closer connection to players from that country because those same fans also support that same country.
I’ve no idea what ‘fans’ are even doing anywhere near AC Milan that don’t respect AC Milan youth players or Italian players or Italy more generally.
As for your totally arbitrary bullshit ratings, do you not for a second wonder how AC MILAN has produced less than 10 semi-regular first team footballers in 20 years?
A club of the standing AC Milan will attract the best youth players in Italy (and also other countries) in the WORLD. It has to because AC Milan are still (despite the best efforts of the owners) one of the best teams in Italy.
So the club consistently fails to convert some of the best youth players in the world to become even squad players.
Is that not just pathetic?
But how exactly CAN any youth player (or just player) reach their potential when the club has more change over in players than a student bar.
They treat elite athletes not even like cattle (which are at least kept to fatten up) but penny stocks. To be flipped and bartered like bargain basement.
But nobody notices because they’re all too busy with their arbitrary bullshit ratings like it’s a f’ing computer game.
KOLIKO JE MILAN ZARADIO NA NJEMU
Not a dime at present but with a 50% resale in the future.
Smart guy. Not stupid like Camarda and rest kids at our club. We play disaster from day when Pioli go,and we not put any our kid to play and developed. We bring old players who nobody want start from Jovic,Morata,Gabbia,Krunic,Abraham,Modric etc and our kida cant play,its shame for this club what doing with young players. Probably soon no one if little good will not play for this club.