Over the years, many players have been offered to AC Milan, given the club’s prestigious stance in the football world. While some have been picked up, quite a few current stars also slipped through the net.
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Since Elliott Management took over the club, and especially since the summer of 2019, Milan have made several clever low-cost signings. And it’s not only the work of Paolo Maldini and Ricky Massara but also head scout Geoffrey Moncada and his staff.
During Yonghong Li’s reign, Marco Fassone and Max Mirabelli were in charge of the sporting area and things worked a little differently back then. One of their advisors was the scout and former sporting director Danilo Pagni.
Speaking to TMW, as cited by MilanLive, Pagni revealed that he advised Milan to sign Hakim Ziyech back when he was at Ajax (prior to his big sale to Chelsea). He also stated that he advised the Rossoneri to take a look at current Man City star Jack Grealish.
“When I went to see Ajax, I sent the video to Fabio Liverani to discuss the player, he’s a friend and I also trust his judgment. Then someone [most likely Mirabelli] said he wasn’t worthy of Milan.
“I also liked Jack Grealish a lot. When I went to see Aston Villa I didn’t even get back to the hotel before I wrote to Milan, stating he must be signed immediately,” he stated.
