Sky: Saelemaekers not training with the squad – Milan exit looks likely

Alexis Saelemaekers is expected to leave AC Milan and he is not training with the rest of the squad in the build-up to the Serie A opener, a report claims.

According to what Peppe Di Stefano reported on Sky (via MilanEye), Saelemaekers trained apart from the rest of the team this morning along with Fode Ballo-Toure and Divock Origi, two players who are known to be on their way out.

Therefore, the Belgian is also one of the players that can leave Milan in the last two weeks of the transfer window, though no details are given regarding interested clubs or potential offers.

The additions of Luka Romero, Christian Pulisic and Samuel Chukwueze mean that Stefano Pioli now has an abundance of options for the right flank, something he has been after for a while.

This threatens to drastically reduce the playing time available to Saelemaekers, who was actually used mostly as a deputy right-back in preseason.

Tags AC Milan Alexis Saelemaekers

29 Comments

  1. I always liked saelemaekers and would like him to stay with us but at this point its rather difficult to see how he would get any minutes with us so its also understandable if he moves on to different team.

    1. I think he could find space at RB. Calabria has shown a slight tendency for injury, Florenzi is trash and that leaves Kalulu, who might also have duties at CB. They should dump Florenzi’s 3m salary instead.

      1. I just remembered the 18 y/o who arrived from Madrid. Maybe they’re planning on giving him whatever minutes can be spared, so perhaps there isn’t room for Salad afterall.

        1. I actually like all the players in question but i do also think that florenzis salaray is far too high but you cant just easily skip him out or i would at least be surprised if such attaempt would mount to anything, Pretty sure he will stay with us untill 2025 when his contract expires,
          Saelemaekers could be fielded in that position but i doesnt really see him usurping calabria,

          1. Right. I didn’t think he would usurp Calabria, but at least find minutes and be useful as a squad player, as he is going to be getting zero at RW. Alas, it may be better to cash in on him for the 15m, and that money could be put towards something else we need more.

    2. It’s probably because management thinks he’s hit his ceiling for the right wing position. I personally would rather keep Saelemakers than Romero in the team since he’s a player that provides more balance than the other right wingers, but maybe Pioli wants to use Musah also in that position if we need someone more defensive that Chuk or Pulisic.

      He did plateau last year and lose the starting spot to Messias so there’s also that to consider. Also looks like we’re getting rid of all the Belgian players.

      At this point late in the transfer season, putting him with the declared ‘unwanted’ means that it’s most likely that a loan with option or sale of 10million at most is our best bet.

      1. i can understand that assesment in regard of balancing it with saelemaekers but im rather curious as well to see romero for us in serie a. I also think maybe romero could be used as a back up for the cam role and poulisic in the event we start fielding the 4-2-3-1 again while also utilized as a right wing back up.

        It didnt really make any sense in my view to bench him after his perfomance against napoli as he really shined there and propably scored the goal of the season to replace him with messias.

        It would be too little in my view but whether the management agrees with that might be a different matter.

  2. Last season out of Tonali, Bennacer, Messias and Saelemaekers, he was the only one with a little growth compare to the winning season.
    If he leaves i hope for at least 15 mil

    1. improving? how? He runs a lot but without much result. Go back and rewatch the last two seasons. What you see is what you get.

      Milan have massively upgraded on him. Time to go.

  3. I still dont understand the decision of Pioli to bench an IN FORM Saele .. right after he single handedly destroyed and dismantled the entire defense of Napoli in UCL(mind you, Napoli defense was shockingly good).. for Messias who had just returned from injury and wasnt even fully fit yet.

    Either Messias was showing Messi level skills in training or… Pioli is unbelievably awful at using his players and insanely biased.

    Latter is much more probable. Saele had NEVER ever been good at RW and Diaz was never good at CAM. Yet.. Pioli in all these years, never tried switching positions between Saele and Diaz. Saele literally had his best games when he cut it through the middle and Diaz had ALL of his best games in Milan shirt at RW which were only a few. This is our coach.

    1. That decision to play Messias instead of Saelemaekers for many games right after that Napoli game told me a lot about Pioli as coach. I also think that keeping Saelemaekers will be the right decision. We have many games to come, we have to be competitive in all competitions, and some players will get injured and suspended, and they will most likely come back out of form. In my opinion we lost champions league tie to inter due to injury to Leao and Bennacer.

      1. That’s the whole point. It tells me that Even a blind person could see that Saele wasn’t good at RW and Diaz wasn’t in CAM.. a simple switch between their position could at least be tried.

  4. i like how people are pro salad.. Dude scored 6 goals for milan in 3 years (111) games. RW that cant score goals.. They are real sought after….
    With the rate he is improving he will be usefull somewhere by his mid 30s.

  5. His best position are RWB but in ACM he is forcing play on RW , he scored total below 10 goals in 3 years with ACM , leaving to other club are good for his career too

  6. I really love how the new management is taking care of the trash that Maldini bought over the years.The only one left is Krunić and Florenzi,but i think Florenzi is probably good for the team chemistry,seems like they are keeping it for this.

    Really hope for a good season and exciting matches to watch.

    1. Edit-Nothing against Paolo,he had great transfers that brought us the Serie A title again,but trash is trash,Saladmakers wouldnt play in Croatian league how bad he is,he had like 10 good games in 3 years,like Messias and the rest of the trash that is sold of being sold.
      I really think that Maldini should have stayed as a person who speaks to players we wanna buy,nothing else.It different if some dude calls your from Milan or its Paolo Maldini,the best left back of all time…

    2. Are you referring to players like Theo, Leo, magic Mike, Tonali (according to you he must be trash) ibra, Giraud, Bannacer and all the players who won us a scudetto…you must be! This shows your lack of understanding of who bought the club and what Gerry intends to do with it. He will strip the soul of the great club and some who understand who this prick is can see it happening. But I guess ignorance is bliss…please keep living in the metaverse.

  7. The whole problem is with Pioly..
    I think Milan too big for him.
    Moreso, he is not upto mark with bringing out the best in the individual talents of his players and also harnessing those talents to form a formidable and highly competitive team is sth he couldnt handle again.

    I see him being fired if he still fails with the new players acm is giving him.

    I hope he performs better this season anyway.

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