Preparing for a ‘Big Sale’?

Who Milan could sign if they were to sell one of their key players next summer

A Milan in change
Saying that Milan is “not what it once was” is a cliché at this point — most recently uttered by Francesco Totti, when asked about Roma’s pending Europa League tie against their northern rivals the other day. We all know what it means: with seven European Cup/Champions League titles — more than every club not named Real Madrid — Milan is one of the most successful clubs in football history, whereas it doesn’t hold the same weight today. To put it more bluntly: Milan used to have all-time great players like Paolo Maldini, Marco van Basten and Kaká, but now their players are nowhere near as talented — good, sure, but not legendary. We all know this, and it’s not an interesting observation, but a different aspect which underlines how Milan has changed, is their transfer strategy. The obvious observation here is that Milan don’t have the resources/financial power that they once had, which is the main reason for their competitive decline. This is something which Gerry Cardinale — majority shareholder of Milan since 2022 — knows, and while it’s still early on, it seems as though he wants to employ a new, aggressive strategy, which centers around making money from player sales. That is to say: Milan used to sign big players, whereas today they aim to create big players, just to sell them to richer clubs.

Although the situation is a whole is quite messy and ambiguous, it is not merely subtle hints that imply what the strategy will be going forward. Already last summer we saw the dismissal of Paolo Maldini as technical director and effectively also Ricky Massara as sporting director — after they had effectively spearheaded Milan’s rise from the ashes in the prior years — as well as the sale of Sandro Tonali. These decisions were extremely controversial (do not get me started), but that is not the point here. Rather, the point is: the drastic change in management implied a drastic change in strategy, and the sale of Sandro Tonali underlined what that change entailed. With that being said, with the controversy surrounding these decisions, the manner in which they were tackled by the media made the direction of the club unclear. It was hard to decipher what the intention behind these decisions was given the conflicting reports from the media, but Cardinale — the “mastermind” behind it all — has spoken publicly quite a few times since then, which — along with new unrelated reports — has cleared things up somewhat. Specifically, the generally reliable La Gazzetta dello Sport journalist Luca Bianchin has repeatedly reported that the sale of one of Milan’s three most important players is a possibility next summer (here is an example from the other day). The question is whether or not anything will materialize next summer. For now, it’s impossible to even make a qualified guess. Some factors imply that the aggressive sales of last summer were merely an attempt to raise the amount of money needed to revamp the squad. After all, Milan did still have a negative net spend, and the highest in Serie A at that (via Transfermarkt). However, depending on how you interpret this excerpt from an interview with Gerry Cardinale, you could instead assume Milan will be open to selling imporant players for years to come, as a form of strategy; opening up for the possibility of a big sale next summer. At the same time, Milan’s de-facto sporting director Geoffrey Moncada has quite bluntly revealed that Milan’s upcoming summer will be significantly more quiet than the previous one, which could lead you to interpret the aforementioned excerpt, perhaps, more pragmatically. Ultimately, the sporting direction of Milan is a rabbit hole that could easily make for an article in and of itself, but what should be considered for this article is that Milan will not be scared to sell important players in the future, meaning one big sale possible next summer is fully within the realms of possibility. The players this primarily concerns, as told by Luca Bianchin, are Mike Maignan, Theo Hernández and Rafael Leão. In this article, I will be looking at nine names who Milan could look to sign if they were to sell any of these aforementioned players; three replacement alternatives per player.

Maignan replacement no. 1: Michele Di Gregorio
If Maignan were to leave, Michele Di Gregorio would be the most realistic option in my eyes. Sure, it should be said that Inter is his boyhood club, but at the professional level club allegiance rarely prevent player transfers from happening. Sure, if Di Gregorio were to have the opportunity to sign for Inter instead, I’m sure that would be his preference, but if Milan do sell Maignan next summer, they should have a relatively free run at Di Gregorio. As for Inter, it seems unlikely that they will move on from Yann Sommer after just one season (which has also been very strong) and they might also lack the finances to pull this move off next summer. As for Napoli, Elia Caprile (who they just signed last summer) seems to be their goalkeeper of the future. As for Lazio, they likely aren’t willing to give up on Provedel after just one lackluster season, and even if they do, they likely lack the resources to replace him with someone like Di Gregorio. Juventus are a potential competitor that shouldn’t be excluded, but for the time being my assumption is that they stick with Wojciech Szczęsny for at least another season. That essentially leaves Roma, among the elite clubs in Italy at the moment, and while they are in desperate need of a goalkeeper, their financial situation is concerning. So, if they are to sign a goalkeeper they will likely want to keep the price down, essentially ruling Di Gregorio out. To further show why Di Gregorio is a highly probable Maignan replacement candidate, Milan have already been linked to him through Nicolò Schira. In fairness, Schira has also reported that Newcastle are interested in Di Gregorio, but that would likely be more of a wildcard signing for them. The point is, if Milan do sell Maignan, the obvious choice should be one of the few outstanding goalkeepers in the country right now, who is awaiting his “big move”.

But how good of an option would Di Gregorio be? In my eyes, his ceiling is not very high, but assuming he would be worth a transfer fee between €20m–€30m, I think he would be a relatively safe option. First of all, external factors can always have an impact on the success of transfers, and from that point of view Di Gregorio would obviously find it easy to settle in at Milan, given he was born and raised in Milan. Aside from that, though, Di Gregorio has by all means also established himself as one of the best goalkeepers in the Serie A, emerging within a new group of promising goalkeepers following a few years of highly underwhelming goalkeeping in the Serie A. More specifically, an argument can be made that Di Gregorio is both the best shot-stopper- and distributor in Serie A. In terms of shot-stopping, Di Gregorio has played an essential role in Monza remaining a mid table outfit despite the regression of their performances. He leads Serie A in both total PSxG +/- (+6.1) and PSxG +/- per 90 (+0.24) this season (via FBref). Again, Di Gregorio is also excellent technically, and with these traits having been established, €20m–€30m may seem like a steal, but there are other traits that should be considered as well. In terms of sweeping, Di Gregorio remains highly unproven throughout his professional career, and this is a limit that has to be taken into account — as for Mike Maignan, his shot-stopping may have become increasingly inconsistent, but he is exceptional coming off of his line. With this being said, a lack of sweeping ability is not the glaring weakness in Di Gregorio’s game, but rather his cross defending. Over the last year, Di Gregorio has ranked in just the seventh percentile for percentage of crosses stopped (via FBref), which is quite concerning.

Di Gregorio’s combination of lackluster sweeping and poor cross-defending is not a deal-breaker, but it does explain why I think Di Gregorio is a signing with a low ceiling. The record transfer fee for a goalkeeper remains €80m, and I don’t think it’s too generous to project that Maignan could match that fee if he were to leave. With such an influx of money, Milan would be able to sign just about any goalkeeper in Europe they wanted, so with that in mind I think there have to be better options than Di Gregorio, although the probable transfer fee is enticing.

Maignan replacement no. 2: Giorgio Mamardashvili
Giorgio Mamardashvili would be the bold option for Milan if Maignan were to leave. The Georgian goalkeeper has been showing highly promising signs ever since 2021, and with the season he’s currently having he seems set to be the hottest commodity on the goalkeeper market next summer. This would — in theory — make him difficult to attain from Milan, but for now it’s hard to foresee how much interest there will be in Mamardashvili. If we look towards the richest league, the Premier League, most of the top clubs should be rather satisfied with their respective starting goalkeepers. The obvious exception would be Chelsea, who were also reportedly interested in Mamardashvili last summer. However, if Maignan were to leave, Chelsea would likely be the favorites to sign him, meaning Mamardashvili likely won’t be an option for them if Maignan leaves. Of course, Real Madrid also have an interesting goalkeeper situation at the moment — given the recent injury of Thibaut Courtois — but they have other priorities for next summer (Mbappé and Reece James/Alphonso Davies), while Andriy Lunin looks increasingly likely to be their long-term starter anyway. Bayern München are another team to keep an eye on, but they will similarly have other issues to address, and while the idea of signing a young goalkeeper who could permanently replace Manuel Neuer in a year or two is not too bold, it would be bold to spend a substantial fee on such a player, especially when you also have more pressing issues at hand. This is all to say, Mamardashvili — who’s still just 23 — has performed at a level that should make him destined to be signed by one of the richest clubs in the world next summer, but the demand may simply not be there. Then, from Milan’s perspect, it should of course be noted that the sale of Maignan would likely generate significant profits for the club if it were to occur. It’s very possible that re-investing that money in an expensive keeper would go against Milan’s new transfer strategy, but assuming Mamardashvili were to go for approximately €50m; Maignan €80m, Milan would still make a remarkable profit from the operation, while simultaneously acquiring one of the elite young goalkeepers in the world. Let’s also not forget that if we continue to focus on the business side of things, this operation would not only be profitable for Milan in the short-term — despite the high transfer fee — but given Mamardashvili’s age he should only improve and grow in value as time goes on as well, which opens up for another significant profit in the future.

Anyway, why is Mamardashvili so special? Again, he’s still only 23 years old, which is very young for a goalkeeper, and he’s already establishing himself as one of the best goalkeepers in the world — perhaps not in terms of reputation just yet, but definitely in terms of performances. In his first two seasons at Valencia, Mamardashvili showed a lot of potential, but this season he has enjoyed a full breakout. In terms of shot-stopping, he ranks third in the top five leagues for total PSxG +/- (+7.7); fourth for PSxG +/- per 90 (+0.27) (via FBref). Where he does still need to develop is in his passing. In that regard, he remains a very unmodern goalkeeper in terms of his usage, but since he’s still quite young this is an area in which he can improve as he gets older. Moreover, while he hasn’t been doing much sweeping this season, this has mostly been a tactical outcome as he has displayed a solid ability to come off of his line in each of his prior seasons at Valencia. In terms of defending crosses, he is even more proven, ranking in the 92nd percentile in La Liga this season (via FBref).

With all of this in mind, it’s fair to call Mamardashvili one of the very best defensive goalkeepers in the world already — at the mere age of 23. While he is still unproven as a potential option in buildup, he does not seem fundamentally broken and I think this is an area in which goalkeepers can improve in significantly, even as late as at the senior level. Mamardashvili does have one flaw, but in my eyes that flaw is the one flaw you want in your goalkeeper if they have to have one. Assuming the price wouldn’t be above €50m, I think Giorgi Mamardashvili would be a fantastic long-term option for Milan, in the event that Maignan would leave.

Maignan replacement no. 3: Marco Carnesecchi
Marco Carnesecchi would be my favorite option to replace Mike Maignan at Milan if the latter were to leave. To some extent, this is a matter of personal bias as Carnesecchi is the best prospect to come out of Rimini — my second home — in a very long time. It is however without bias that I say that Carnesecchi is quite possibly the future starting goalkeeper of the Italian national, despite competition from the likes of Gianluigi Donnarumma, Elia Caprile, Guglielmo Vicario and Michele Di Gregorio.

Carnesecchi is currently in his fifth season at the senior level, and after years worth of highly promising seasons in Serie B, as well as glimpses of brilliance in Serie A last season, Carnesecchi is finally starting to establish himself as a highly impactful goalkeeper. He had a slow start to this season — competing with Juan Musso for a starting spot and often failing to deliver when given a chance — but in recent months Carnesecchi has been in the form of his life; definitively snatching Juan Musso’s starting spot away from him. Carnesecchi is still only 23, has shown significant progress in recent years, and is an unusually complete prospect, in terms of skill-set. For the time being Carnesecchi stands out as a sweeper and cross-defender above all. He is quick, athletic, brave and modern; increasingly reliable coming off of his line with along with added responsibility, and reliable at dealing with crosses. As for his shot-stopping, he has displayed inconsistency in Serie A, but as mentioned he seems to have turned the corner in recent months. Statistically, his +1.1 PSxG +/- this season (via FBref) isn’t overwhelmingly strong, but clearly points to his progress heading in the right direction, as emphasized by his performances against Milan and Sassuolo last month — among others. It is still to be determined whether he can become a game-changer in terms of shot-stopping, but in today’s game this is not quite as important as it was in the past. What does matter is that his current shot-stopping impact is positive overall, and the fact that he’s still only 23 is encouraging on that note. Then, in terms of his passing, he has shown lots of promise with Atalanta when it comes to more advanced passing, but as for high usage in buildup, short-range passing and ball-playing under pressure, he is not yet proven. In any case, his technical base implies he can become a more complete ball-playing goalkeeper in the future, in fact he can already make a notable impact with his long-range passing.

There are no significant weaknesses to Carnesecchi’s game, and he still seems to be growing, all whilst not having had his true breakout season yet, which should make him cheaper. I would expect him to be worth around €30m next summer, which would be an excellent price to pay for perhaps the most complete young goalkeeper on the market.

Theo replacement no. 1: Fabiano Parisi
Fabiano Parisi is a very interesting option to potentiallyreplace Theo Hernández at Milan this summer, because he reminds me of Theo Hernández before he came to Milan in quite a few ways. The general similarities is that Parisi is quick; explosive; technical; a great progressor; a threat going forward, and with intriguing defensive characteristics, although also numerous defensive flaws, just as 2019-ish Theo Hernández. There’s no reason to go into too great detail into this comparison because the point is that I think Parisi would be a good fit for Milan (and vice versa), and in this environment I think he could go quite far.

Now, Parisi is not a perfect prospect, in fact he’s not even particularly young as he just turned 23 last fall. However, he has spent the overwhelming majority of his senior career playing for Avellino and Empoli, and in such a case natural- and physical ability can only go so far; putting Parisi in a team like Milan could help him refine parts of his game and continue to grow as a player. An example of this is illustrated if we return to the comparison with Theo. In terms of Parisi’s promising traits, he’s fast and strong for one, but also possesses good defensive fundamentals and anticipation which makes him a prolific ball-winner. However, in terms of 1v1-defending and positional awareness he is still generally lacking. While the intricate details differ in reality, this very description would have been almost equally applicable to Theo in around 2019. Theo was already highly experienced at the senior level when he had signed for Milan, and would make significant defensive strides by a combination of experience/exposure in a new environment and a determination to improve, in the following years. Even today, Theo remains unreliable defensively to an extent, but it’s not realistic to wish for a full-back who can do it all at the highest level nowadays.

As for Parisi’s more offensive qualities, refinement would be necessary, and this would likely be easier to achieve through mere exposure. Parisi may never hit the same heights as Theo in the final third, but at Fiorentina he has become an increasingly promising contributor in that area, as he possesses solid *offensive* positional awareness and a dangerous final ball. More-so I think he stands out for his prowess in possession/buildup, though. He’s quick, he’s explosive, and he’s surprisingly powerful; surprising because, unlike Theo, he doesn’t have the most imposing frame, however what he lacks in size he makes up for with great close control. He’s not necessarily the most elegant on the ball and doesn’t always have the cleanest touch, but that is only in relation to a very high standard. In any case, Parisi is effective at everything from close control and ball-retention, to advanced passing, to ball-carrying, to dribbling. In this regard he can perhaps be compared to someone like Gabriel Martinelli, who doesn’t always look the prettiest on the ball, but whose output and general effectiveness speaks for itself. This is not to mention that Parisi’s general technique is something that could still improve in an environment such as that of Milan.

I think Michele Di Gregorio can be used as a reference point for Parisi as an option for Milan here. Parisi is reaching his prime, he’s undoubtedly talented, he likely wouldn’t be particularly expensive, and he would easily settle in to the club as he’s Italian. However, Parisi would not be the most exciting signing since his ceiling is quite low, all things considered. I think the comparison with Theo is very interesting, but the main purpose it fills is to illustrate how Parisi could fit at Milan, and how he could grow as a player. In reality, I’m very confident that Parisi will never reach Theo’s level, and ideally the aim should be to sign someone who can at least adequately replace Theo in the long-term. On a continental level, Parisi is not exactly outstanding in any broader area. He is very good in buildup, he is good in the final third, and he has a lot of positive defensive attributes, but on a continental scale he doesn’t truly stand out in any of these areas. A safe option, but I think Milan could do better, especially with a *presumably* big budget to work with.

Theo replacement no. 2: Ferdi Kadıoğlu
Ferdi Kadıoğlu is perhaps the most interesting name in this article, from a Milan perspective. His arrival would signify a somewhat drastic change of profile at the left-back position, which may not be so problematic after all when you take Milan’s imminent managerial change next summer into consideration. The very short explanation why is that Kadıoğlu is a right-footed left-back. The longer explanation, is that he’s one of Europe’s great chameleons. Not only is Kadıoğlu essentially equally adept at playing on either side of the pitch, but while he’s a full-back nowadays, he has extensive experience playing in midfield and on the wing, which is reflected in his style of play. While Milan have regularly been inverting their full-backs under Stefano Pioli, this move would give them an opportunity to do so more aggressively, which is an interesting idea.

The disappointing aspect of Kadıoğlu is that he hasn’t been a proficient final third threat in a few years, although he has absolutely shown promising glimpses. However, his experience as a midfielder and winger is fully reflected in how he acts in possession. The way he evades pressure, the way he finds solutions, his movement patterns, his complete turning radius, his 1v1-ability, and his through balls are all heavily reminiscent of a winger/midfielder. In fact, Kadıoğlu’s role at Fenerbahçe this season has allowed him to practically act as a midfielder and/or winger to a great extent. Along with these wing/midfield-esque characteristics, Kadıoğlu is extremely mobile, nimble, quick, relatively strong and powerful, and technically gifted, which — together with the aforementioned traits — is what makes him such an imactful player in buildup. Usually when you look at a full-back, you want a nice balance of defensive ability, possession-based ability and final third ability, and with Kadıoğlu being a very offensively influenced player who doesn’t excel in the final third, his balance might not sound too great. However, Kadıoğlu’s value in buildup should not be compared to that of a full-back, but more-so to that of a midfielder or winger. Kadıoğlu can perhaps be compared to Oleksandr Zinchenko, although he is quite different stylistically. Zinchenko is a polarizing player, but I don’t think he would have the experience playing at the level he’s played at if his profile wasn’t very valuable. On that note, it should perhaps also be noted that, while it’s hard to foresee how effective Kadıoğlu would be defensively in a top five league, he does have some interesting characteristics in this department, which separate him from Zinchenko. Kadıoğlu possesses speed, strength, power, as well as solid anticipation, so while he may never become a great- or even good defender on a European level, these traits ensure that he will never be useless out of possession.

Overall, Kadıoğlu is a more seasoned player than Parisi, and while he’s not as complete I do think he’s more exciting and would point towards Milan going in a more modern tactical direction. Additionally, I would also assume Kadıoğlu would be in or around the same price range as Parisi. So who would be the better option if Theo Hernández were to leave? That is largely a tactical question, which doesn’t mean it’s completely subjective and not worth answering, but when you consider that we currently don’t really have any idea who Milan’s next manager will be, I think it’s almost impossible to determine. Kadıoğlu is more tactically exciting in a vacuum, though, for whatever that’s worth.

Theo replacement no. 3: Ian Maatsen
Ian Maatsen would possibly be the most exciting signing for Milan out of all the names mentioned in this article in my opinion. Having been developed in one of the world’s elite youth sectors since 2018, Maatsen has a unique pedigree compared to the other players in this article. If he played for just about any other club, he would likely be valued very highly, but although Chelsea’s supporters are generally big fans of him, the club has clearly shown that it is not holding on to the Dutch left-back for dear life. Maatsen seems ready to take the next step in his career and establish himself at a European club (see this quote), in which case Milan would be ideal. As reported by Fabrizio Romano (more than a couple times, believe it or not…), Maatsen has a £35m release clause, which is somewhat steep in and of itself, but not when you consider what Milan would likely receive for Theo, and just how good Maatsen is.

As for who Maatsen is, I see him as somewhat of a mix between Parisi and Kadıoğlu, which is what makes him such a fun option. That is to say, he has many of the midfield-esque traits in possession that Kadıoğlu has, all whilst being a more defensively potent and offensively sharp full-back in the mould of Parisi. In possession, he’s smooth, silky and nimble. He has a complete turning radius, great close control, and largely fundamentally sound technique on top of that. He doesn’t quite have the pace, power and explosiveness of Kadıoğlu, but makes up for that with more intricate technical and mental qualities that affect his buildup play. Furthermore, he boasts solid ball-striking and particularly great technical empathy. On shots from range and crosses he’s often able to generate an impressive amount of power, but what strikes me more is the precision and accuracy of his crosses; they’re not necessarily powerful, but rather precise and hit with an appropriate amount of force.

At 1.67 m tall and weighing in at 57 kg, it’s surprising how comfortable Maatsen has looked in competitions at the level of the Premier League, Bundesliga and Champions League, however what’s even more surprising is his defending. Most importantly, Maatsen’s anticipation is excellent, which is always a good defensive trait to have for players with physical disadvantages. What’s more impressive, though, is that Maatsen is an equally solid fundamental defender, who doesn’t shy away from duels, is surprisingly disciplined, and has also been reliable in 1v1 situations this season. Due to his size he is not perfect by any means, but still remarkably impactful.

Ian Maatsen is one of the best full-back prospects in the world; he’s so good I almost feel like Milan should actively seek to sell Theo Hernández in order to acquire him.

Leão replacement no. 1: Paris Brunner
In my opinion, Milan’s priority when Rafael Leão leaves should be to find his long-term replacement by any means possible. That might sound like an empty statement on a surface level, but what it really means is that I wouldn’t be particularly concerned with replacing Rafael Leão in the short-term; immediate quality/impact is not necessarily a factor at all. The influx of money would make it tempting to make an ambitious signing, but if you look at the state of the market you’ll see that the options are highly limited anyway.

One of the few options I like, is Dortmund’s Paris Brunner. The main reason why I like him as a potential long-term Leão replacement is that his potential is very high. Another more fun reason is that he bears a resemblance to Leão in numerous way. Similarly to Leão in his younger years, Brunner is somewhat of a left wing/striker hybrid, and I absolutely believe he could be moulded into Leão’s current profile. He’s not quite as tall (1.85 m compared to Leão at 1.88 m), and definitely not as rapid and powerful, however he is highly similar to Leão when it comes to his style of dribbling, holdup play, and movement patterns. Again, Brunner doesn’t quite seem to quite be the same type of physical specimen as Leão, however this comes with him being a more smooth and controlled player; with significantly better balance, close control and general technical security. It should also be emphasized that Brunner’s dribbling style is really similar to that of Leão; from his directness, to his heavy touches, to his emphasis on change of direction, to his disguise/manipulation, to his stepovers, to more intricate stylistic details. This is — of course — a good thing, which is also one of the main reasons why I like Brunner as a left winger, as opposed to a striker. I think Brunner has the talent and the appropriate profile to be “the next Leão”, although there are some clear differences between them. Sure enough, interest from Milan has also been reported, while Brunner’s contract also expires next year. Of course, Brunner is yet to even make his senior debut and he is not necessarily someone who Milan would need to sign if Leão were to leave next summer; they could possibly sign him even if Leão were to stay, thereby preparing for Leão’s departure. In any case, I think Brunner is an extremely exciting option as Leão’s potential long-term replacement.

Leão replacement no. 2: Nico Williams
The only more short-term-focused replacement option for Leão that I like, is Nico Williams, and even then he is still only 21 years old. In any case, he is the only left winger on the market who would be a good stylistic replacement for Leão; an immediate starter, and a good long-term option. It is likely that Milan would face some fierce competition for Williams if they were to sell Leão, but since Williams has a very affordable €50m release clause (via Fabrizio Romano), this may not be such an obstacle. Of course, wages could then play a part, but while Milan are financially disadvantaged when it comes to leaving Williams an enticing offer, they do have some advantages on the footballing side of things. Milan would offer him a guaranteed starting spot at one of the biggest clubs in the world, which is competing in the Champions League and should be ready to compete for titles for years as long as it makes a good managerial appointment next summer. Would this be the best offer on the table? That’s impossible to determine right now, but I do think it’s worth pointing out that Milan would not necessarily be out of the race for Williams due to fierce competition.

Nonetheless, the main reason why Nico Williams would be such a fun option to replace Leão is that he’s a similarly electric dribbler- and ball-carrier. In fact he is also quite stylistically similar to Leão, aside from merely being one of the most prolific dribblers in the world. In contrast to Brunner, Williams is more in the physical mould of Leão — he may be even shorter than Brunner, but he’s extremely fast and strong in ways that are reminiscent of Leão — beyond the many stylistic intricacies. Williams has essentially been an elite dribbler and ball-carrier since he made his senior debut, but what he has previously lacked is end product; something he has improved on this season. He’s still not quite lethal in this department, but is beginning to make a more significant impact — not only through creativity, but also through off-ball movement and shot-creation. Really, there isn’t much you could ask for. At 21 years old, Williams should only improve, and while I would be extremely surprised if he ever reaches the heights I believe Leão can reach, I do think he would be an excellent replacement option if Leão were to leave.

Leão replacement no. 3: Antonio Nusa
My favorite Leão replacement option is Antonio Nusa, which emphasizes my idea of replacing Leão in the long-term as opposed to making a compromise between immediate quality and ceiling. For me, Nusa is probably the best teenage winger prospect *on the market*, and although he doesn’t bear a stylistical resemblance to Leão, he is an elite talent in the same position, which is what really matters.

Antonio Nusa is an unbelievably electric ball-carrier and dribbler. He’s extremely fast, he’s very explosive, he’s smooth and rapid with the ball, his close control is fantastic, he’s agile and his balance is great, his burst of pace is excellent, and he possesses flair. With these traits — physical and technical — there isn’t much more that Nusa needs: he’s simply electric on the ball, and to an extent this is enough to open up spaces for him to play the final ball, or to take a high quality shot. However, it’s never quite that simple, and Nusa’s movement is also good, which is the true icing on the cake as far as his final third threat is concerned. In this department he has also showed potential as a finisher from many different types of situations, which is highly encouraging as much as he is still raw and an unfinished product.

Brentford had initially agreed a €30m deal with Club Brugge to sign Antonio Nusa last January, and assuming Nusa would be worth around the same fee next summer, it would be a no-brainer for Milan if Leão were to leave — at least in my eyes. The sky is the limit for Antonio Nusa, and the theoretical departure of a talent like Leão would call for the arrival of a talent just like him.