Antonio Vitiello believes that AC Milan have handled the renewal situations of Mike Maignan and Theo Hernandez badly.
There was a time when the two Frenchmen were considered immovable pillars of the team, and were worth over €50m each in terms of their market value. However, Milan have found themselves in a situation whereby both are looking to depart, and for no more than €25m.
Read SempreMilan ad-free and get access to exclusive news. Click here for a free trial!
Both Theo and Maignan have worn the captain’s armband and have been cited as leaders. Although their form was up and down during the 2024-25 season, Massimiliano Allegri was reportedly keen to keep as much leadership as possible for the new era.
Vitiello shares thoughts
Speaking in his weekly column for MilanNews, Vitiello spoke about the situations pertaining to the two Frenchman and why the management can only blame themselves over the lack of leverage they now have.
“We are at the beginning of another revolutionary summer. Milan have changed coach, has taken a new sporting director, has sold its best player from last season (Reijnders), could sell two other big names like Maignan and Theo Hernandez , others will leave and many players will arrive. Another year zero, a new restart, hoping that this time it will be the right one.
“The burden of the reconstruction is entirely on the shoulders of Max Allegri and Igli Tare, in close contact on a daily basis to reprogram a Milan that last season devalued itself and understood that it was at the end of its cycle with some players.
“But mistakes were made on the Theo Hernandez and Mike Maignan issue. For two players of this caliber, Milan arrived late and found themselves with only one year to go before their contracts expired, managing a situation that was now a complete breakdown.
“And to think that two seasons ago both Theo and Maignan had valuations of 70-80 million, while today if they reach 20 million it is already a miracle. The management of the renewals was negative , and by doing so the club lost money, there is no point in beating around the bush.
“The devaluation of the players is evident and with one year to go before their contracts expired, you no longer have any bargaining power. The policy of stalling has not borne fruit, and communication has not helped either.
“Just reread Ibrahimovic’s words in the conference both last June and in January. Zlatan has always said ‘Everything under control’ for the renewals of the two Frenchmen. Instead, a different reality is emerging, nothing was under control at all.
“This way of communicating irritates the fans even more. On the extensions of Theo and Maignan, Furlani and Moncada were also on the same line as Ibra: one thing is said and then the opposite happens.
“Maignan, for example, has decided to leave regardless, he makes it a matter of principle. If he were not to go to Chelsea he would remain in the Rossoneri without renewing. By now the rift with the management seems to be irreparable. But today it could be closed after the relaunch of the Londoners.
“Then it is clear that in a failed season the players also made mistakes, and not all of them behaved like true professionals. This aspect must also be taken into account on the scale. And now that Milan is without European cups, many prefer to leave.
“Different situation for Leao. Bayern Munich could try, but for less than 100 million Milan will not let him go. An offer that is really out of the market is needed to buy him, and in principle the club would not want to include counterparts.”
What caliber player is Theo? Top 5, top 10, top 15 LBs?
Why not renewing both man and good salary theyn can still give so much!
You never learn anything. They can’t give anything again. Don’t make the mistake of renewing these guys again. Let them go NOW
Vitiello leaves little details out of the equation: the will of the players. Theo wanted to renew for figures similar to the ones Leao earn, and that was idiotic. Mike has had a terrible season and Milan offered him a decent renewal, having his performances in mind. If we have renewed these guys before with inflated wages, there is zero chance to sell them. We already have faced that in the past, but people has short memory it looks
Theo has played an enormous amounts of minutes while Maignan was injured far too much for a GK. On a minute basis Theo’s demands are not that unreasonable had he played a good, motivated season. Obviously that´s not the case.
Yeah, Theo played 4000 minutes even though he has been visibly tired since the Euros. Why not let him rest.
Theo signed an extension with us even though there was more salary to get elsewhere. He was loyal to us.
Then they sacked Maldini.
They started with negotiations and then stopped. They sold Reijnders and are on the verge of selling Maignan. Maybe even Leao.
Of course he wants to leave this club. He wants to play the World Cup next year and probably Champions League next season.
and people also blame Maldini when he refused dollarumma request to triple his salary and being hostaged by his agent in his last year of his contract, also he believe with Kessie words that he will renew.
at least with Mike & Theo, they said to management face that they ask for transfer a year before, not like those two who stalls until their contract is ended.
Ok… i sY renew… p a rticularly theo b3cause there simply are no realistic viable Lternatives.. that…. unless we overpaying in cape x or salary(opex) we are loosing 8f Theo leaves…
This.. I am but further over not being called etc… its a bit overblow.. I mean common, this guys are professionals anD that kind of stuff is more common and cN be overcome…because we are talking in the end about a c9ntract with money. Also, that kind of BS can be ironed out, you already showed senior leadership change(tare, alleg) talk, work it out…
Vitiello’s video’s are hardly informative if anyone has watched any of them… He just huffs and puffs and speculates.
We don’t need him to point out that our management doesn’t know what they are doing. Thanks Captain Obvious.
Of course their renewals were butchered. Of course Mike should have been renewed sooner and Theo should have been sold a year ago when you knew he would ask for unreasonably high wages.
Now you’ll probably lose both for free whether you freeze them out or not.
I found similarity between M&M and Furlani. They find it hard to renew a player. But at least M&M won a scudetto, while these clowns, couldn’t renew, keep selling our best player and couldn’t even compete at Conference league. Joke management and joke fans who stand up for these clowns at the management.
M&M fired for let player go for free, but both of them build scudetto team.
Maybe furlani will get fired if maignan or theo go for free next season. If furlani not get fired, then it means mr cardinale play double standard for his staff.
You are underestimating 🐀 Furlani.
This evil person with smiling face has lot of cards on his hand than we can even imagine.
He seems like undercover agent from Elliot.
His task is to destroy Milan as much as possible to extend that Gerry cannot pay his loan back and Elliot will takeover the ownership
Damn furlani. So furlani have hidden agenda
I miss this point too . You are right, without CL 2 next season , RB will fail to pay debt and elliot will get ACM again. This was crazy if true. What more awful, furlani now hold control over choosing coach, player, renew contract above gery ( RB) in this season & next season
All players are employees of AC Milan and they can give them away if they want. Vitela, like us, can be interested in who they will bring, who they will sell, but what does Vitela care about what price they sell for? Are you the owner or shareholder of Milan? Can these journalists report what is happening and not tell us how much money Milan lost or gained. It’s Milan’s money and what they do with that money is their business. I want them to bring Sule, Comuzo, De Cuyper, Xhaka, Rabiot, Ricci, Chieza and Lucca or Krstović. Selling Tomori, Thiaw, RLC, Chuk, Okafor, Pobega, Adli, Colombo, Benaser. And you know what, I don’t really care how they pull it off.
Who released Donnaruma and Chalhanoglu for free in the 2020/21 season and then did the same with Kessie and Romagnoli a year later. Have you ever calculated how much money Milan lost on those 4 players??? Over 100 million. And? Did Vitelo or any of you who are crying because of money have your bank account change because of this?
Ask them
It’s incompetence and arrogance. Look how they just sacked Boban, Maldini. Now they handle the contracts like it’s a monolog.
You want to extend players as their calibre, you gotta pay some price. Mike and Theo would fetch at least 120 million if they still have some length on their contract.
Yes, you gotta pay their demands first, but that’s the necessity. You pennypinch, act like everyone will surrender under your policy and let your best players unmotivated, disloyal and now you get pennies for your effort.
And who’s paying for these mistakes again? Oh, right…no one. Wouldn’t be in keeping with the pretense