Journalist Mauro Suma has explained why AC Milan have so much belief in the youth project and why painful decisions regarding young players precede the growth of the squad.
Ever since the change of ownership to Elliott Management and then RedBird Capital, there has been a very clear strategy put in place to focus on younger players, first by investing in a new core which includes the likes of Theo Hernandez, Rafael Leao and others.
However, that was not the only concrete step that was taken either. Having been spoken about for months, the green light arrived for the club to launch their Milan Futuro project, which will see an U23 team participate in Serie C from next season onwards.
Suma published a column for MilanNews in which he spoke about the tour of the USA and the summer transfer window, while he had some interesting things to say about Milan’s future-led vision.
“The economic, technical and strategic investment of Milan Futuro, the first UEFA Youth League final reached by an Italian team, the return after years in the Scudetto Primavera finals, the decision to focus on the contract renewals of Francesco [Camarda] and Kevin [Zeroli], the 18 years of age in two less of Pavlovic and Morata compared to the last Kjaer and the last Giroud, are all pieces of a policy that sees in young players not an obsession or a confinement, but a great opportunity first of all sporting and then also financial and growth,” he said.
“Of course, Morata is not very young, but Pavlovic is, like Jimenez and like others. It’s a shame, really, for Simic and Daniel Maldini, but like in the summer of 2018 of Cutrone and Locatelli the time has come to make choices. They remain and will be two excellent players who will complete their ascent anyway, even if not in red and black.
“The youth is a lever in which all of Milan and Giorgio Furlani believe a lot, as demonstrated by the face put on Milan Futuro by Zlatan Ibrahimovic in a moody summer moment external in which it was not easy to put it.
“There is the courage of RedBird in this vision. Just as there is a lot of sensitivity on the part of the entire club towards the players of the Rossoneri women’s team, who from this season will enjoy concrete guarantees in the event of maternity.
“From the automatic renewal with a one-year extension of the contract to assistance for child care, to support for flights, accommodation and other travel expenses for the children of the member. Chapeau. Onward.”