Month: August 2026

Aug 31

Omari Hutchinson, left footed winger or attacking midfielder joins on loan with option to buy

Omari Hutchinson joins Milan from Nottingham Forest on loan. The left footed player who is known for being skilled and spent time in the Arsenal and Chelsea youth systems to wide praise gets a chance to fill a request by Amorim. Whether the team needs a player for spots that on paper are filled by Pulisic, Moreira, Saelemaekers and Chukwueze remains to be seen. The coach and the team do need bodies as the squad size is rapidly decreasing with (loan) exits adding up on the last days of the window.

Hutchinson, 22, has played for Jamaican national team and represented England at youth levels. At senior club level he first joined Ipswich and then made a more expensive transfer to a chaotic Nottingham Forest to lesser success in the Premier League.

His scouting report notes his speed and acceleration and perhaps more importantly for the current Milan team his commitment to pressing and 1v1 strength.

Player Summary

Name :

Omari Hutchinson

Date of Birth :

Oct 30, 2003

Age :

22

Height :

1.74 m

Citizenship :

Jamaica

Position :

Winger

Foot :

Left

Agency :

None

Ownership :

AC Milan

Contract Expires :

Jun 30, 2027

Current Club :

AC Milan

Joined :

Aug 31, 2026

The loan is said to be a high paid one of around €4 million, with no obligation but an expensive €50 million option on Milan’s part.

Aug 31

Santiago Gimenez loaned to Porto with a buy option tied to the customary certain conditions

Santiago Gimenez has joined Porto on loan. It is said to be a free loan of plus an option taking the total to just under €20 million.

Gimenez joined Milan in February of 2025, for a reported €30 million from Feyenoord. His initial half season at Milan showed some promise and it was hoped that he will able to gain form and momentum for the 2025-2026 season. However ankle issues lead him to miss time and then perform surgery to miss most of the season. Unable to get much time or show signs of a breakthrough he finished last season with a flop tagged hanging over him with zero goals in 16 appearances and 897 minutes during the season.

His cause was not helped with another in jury while on national team duty at the 2026 World Cup, where he did not get many minutes.

As of writing the conditions that would make his move to Porto permanent are not known.

Aug 30

Rafael Leao joins Galatasaray as one of summer 2026’s transfer sagas concludes

Rafael Leao has joined Galatasaray to end this summer’s transfer saga that began by the player asking to be sold via a TV interview earlier in the summer. Galatasaray were the most insistent team in recent weeks and despite the player’s hesitation and apparent desire to go to English Premier League and the team’s wish to get upwards of €60 million for the player he leaves to Istanbul for less. The figures quoted for his transfer were at first mentioned to be around €45 million eventhough Cardinale had set a so called firm higher price but then Galatasaray announced on their news release that they had paid €38 million but with a 20% sell-on clause. This is not the first time that Milan is proven to be poor sellers in the market.

The Portuguese international joined Milan one year after unilaterally exiting Sporting in his Lisbon hometown. He was one of a number of players who decided to leave the Portuguese team in 2018 after fans invaded their Alcochete training ground in protest of the team’s inability to qualify for the Champions League. He left to play one season in Lille. The subsequent Sporting contract termination became a court case and Milan helped the player pay the cost of resulting judgement and bought the player from Lille for €49.50 million.

He became an important and regular Milan winger and sometimes center forward with differing results but of course played a big part in Milan’s 2021-2022 scudetto win under Pioli. He leaves Milan having scored 80 goals and 65 assists in 291 games leaving him tied for eighth place for goal contributions in Milan history. He, not unlike many of his team mates, failed to remain consistent under Allegri’s reign and leaves Milan with a perhaps undeserved lazy tag and his name conjures up strong words among some on social media.

Aug 29

Samuele Ricci loaned to Como with an option to make it permanent in 2027

Samuele Ricci has joined Cesc Fabregas’ Como on a one year loan. It is said to be a paid loan of around €1.5 million plus an option taking the total to almost €22 million.

Ricci joined Milan in July of 2025, for a reported €23 million from Torino. The young Italian becomes one of the many summer 2025 and recent transfers that have exited Milan. His is the 5th player to be loaned out this summer with Milan clearing the squad in another year zero type summer following last season’s debacle and failed campaign. It remains to be seen if either he or Nkunku will provide some transfer income for Milan next summer or return.

Aug 28

Ramos scores his first goal for Milan to help make it two out of two to start season

Two changes from the 11 that started week 1 at Torino saw Modric and Bartesaghi start in place of Jashari and Estupinana. Musah, Cisse and Loftus-Cheek retained their spots with perhaps the latter a questionable choice.

A score less first was similarly eventless to week 1’s first half. The team improved with Saelemaekers and Rabiot’s entry and Ramos broke the deadlock having missed earlier chances. Venezia provided moments of danger but failed to find the net. Chukwueze offered bright crosses and moments and had an overall good game.

Milan got a lucky bounce for the late second goal although the play preceding the goal was a good one with Ramos, Saelemaekers and – on for Modric – Jashari combined well. The almost misplaced shot was saved by Venezia goalkeeper Filip Stankovic but ricocheted off Redouane Halhal into the visitors’ goal.

With Leao in the stands for what would be his last day as a Milan player before flying to Istanbul to join Galatasaray the team took another positive step for now and the future.

Aug 28

Milan to face Benfica, Ferencvaros, Sunderland & Ararat-Armenia at home and Olympiacos, Salzburg,
Bournemouth & Levski Sofia
away in Europa League league phase

The draw for the 2026-2027 Europa League league phase took place today.

The new format in effect since 2024-2025 has teams still placed in four pots but instead of being drawn in groups teams play two teams from each pot for a total of eight games in the league phase.

Milan will play four home and four away games and the schedule of the games will be released by Sunday August 30th. Below are Milan’s 8 opponents for the league phase with H denoting a home game and A away.

H Benfica
A Olympiacos
H Ferencvaros
A Red Bull Salzburg
H Sunderland
A Bournemouth
H Ararat-Armenia
A Levski Sofia

Update: The Europa League league phase fixtures have been released:

16 September 2026 21:00 SL Benfica (H)
15 October 2026 18:45 FC Salzburg (A)
22 October 2026 21:00 AFC Bournemouth (A)
5 November 2026 18:45 Ferencvárosi TC (H)
26 November 2026 18:45 Olympiacos FC (A)
10 December 2026 21:00 Sunderland AFC (H)
21 January 2027 21:00 PFC Levski Sofia (A)
28 January 2027 21:00 FC Ararat-Armenia (H)

Aug 26

A promising win to start a new season and era done, lots more work on and off the pitch ahead

The 2026-2027 Serie A season started on a positive note with a 2-1 win at Torino. Milan did well up until around the 70th minute when leading 2-0 courtesy of goals by Cisse, his first on his Milan debut, and just subbed on in a more attacking role than last season, Rabiot. The final minutes had Milan dropping concentration, a drop later explained by tiredness. A long busy season will certainly require more stamina and fit players.

With transfer business still not at its end the team is still taking shape and the starting 11 might change beyond this week 2 match up at the San Siro. Leao, the saga of the summer, seems ‘finally’ close to leaving to Turkey as of writing. Any income from his move, even if below what was hoped, will open the door for the other changes. Expect Milan to sign another defender and an attacking player. After Nkunku it is Tomori, Fofana (and Ricci) who will likely exit for relatively small amounts but others like Musah may have already confirmed their stay with a good performance at Torino.

The starting 11 at Torino was a bit experimental but it mostly worked out well. Loftus-Cheek for example does not always convince but did ok. Cisse is raw and considered a prospect but scoring on a debut is not to be ignored, especially by a coach with an apparent willingness to go for youth. Musah was not expected to start but showed good form and Chukwueze being a wingback is not the most safe option.

No changes are expected to the starting 11 for week 2 but players like Modric, Moreria and Gabbia could be in line for starts. The latter is now fit after injury and Modric’s minutes are to be managed.

Amorim became the first coach in a decade to win on his Milan debut. A win to build on with help from Cardinale.

On the day of this match will also learn their 2026-2027 Europa league fixtures with the draw being held by UEFA.

Venezia, coached by Giovanni Stroppa, returned to Serie A after first try but lost their opener to Lecce. On their return to the top division Venezia have most notably brought in two center forwards in Akor Adams and Albion Rrahmani.

Visit the forums to follow this match and everything Milan.

Aug 25

Christopher Nkunku joins RB Leipzig on loan with option, team he was once joint Bundesliga top scorer with Fullkrug

Christopher Nkunku has joined RB Leipzig in the German Bundesliga on a one year loan. It is said to be a paid loan of around €3 million plus an option taking the total to €30 million plus.

Nkunku joined Milan last August, near deadline day, for a reported €37 million from Chelsea. The French forward’s transfer was questioned by some fans and pundits and his time at Allegri’s Milan was not exactly a success, but then not many Milan players could call last season a success. When he arrived his value was already lower after less than newsworthy two seasons at Chelsea. His apparent preference or strength at playing behind a forward was to be useful to Amorim but early summer whispers that he might be crucial for the new era were suddenly reversed.

During the 2022-2023 Bundesliga season and he and Niclas Fullkrug were joined top scorers with 16 goals each.

Aug 23

Positive start to Amorim era but with work to do, as Cisse shows off potential

Starting 11:
Maignan; Gila, De Winter, Pavlovic; Chukwueze, Musah, Jashari, Estupinan; Loftus-Cheek, Cisse; Ramos

The 2026 – 2027 season and Amorim era started on a positive note. After a somewhat eventless first half where at least Milan didn’t cede possession and make unnecessary back passes the team did better in the middle of second half .

The starting 11 could perhaps be termed as experimental with Chukwueze as a wingback and Loftus-Cheek partnering Cisse behind Ramos. Modric on the bench and a middle two of Musah and Jashari was somewhat unexpected.

With possession in hand Milan gained some momentum as the game went on. Cisse finally broke the deadlock with a smart shot and finish. 19 year old Diego Mascardi in Torino goal had his view partially blocked. Soon after Rabiot, just subbed on, doubled the lead from a Chukwueze assist. The Nigerian was mostly lively throughout the game. At least going forward.

The other subs came on and the performance dropped off considerably. Modric, Bartesaghi, Saelemaekers and Gabbia failed to keep the concentration or action moving forward and Che Adams grabbed a late consolation with a great shot beating Maignan.

With more signings likely it remains to be seen what is the most settled 11 of the season.

Aug 21

Milan, a team still in
process of taking shape,
begins new season with
new coach and system

The 2026 – 2027 is about to start and it has been another summer of change for Milan. A coaching and management change happened immediately after the season ended in May. The change was wholly justifiable but perhaps without much thought about what comes next. More about this in an upcoming summer review article.

For now however attention must shift to the Serie A season. With less than 2 weeks left in the summer transfer window a team that is still in flux and in process of being complete will open the season at Abate’s Torino. The pre-season matches didn’t reveal too much except that Amorim is, as expected, a very different coach to Allegri. He still doesn’t have all the players that he would want but in addition to the Ramos and Gila arrivals in what seems ages ago Moreira fills an important piece for the (right?) wing or wingback position that is very crucial to Amorim’s all action system and especially on the sides of the pitch.

The back three in Amorim’s 3-4-2-1 is perhaps close to what it will be for the rest of the season in Gila, Gabbia and Pavlovic. De Winter is the current deputy if Gabbia is not fully recovered from a summer injury. The middle four present few more questions. Modric and Jashari seem the obvious choices but some have Musah slated for a week 1 start. This seems questionable and goes against the glimpses of form Jashari has shown in the summer. Similarly some sources have Estupinan, somehow still a Milan player, starting when Bartesaghi and potentially Moreira are available. Chukwueze could be in line for a start as a wingback. The Nigerian has played well in preseason but is perhaps better suited for a more advanced right wing role. Cisse who might stay with the senior team (or not) could start along side Loftus-Cheek behind Ramos.

Even the somewhat settled defense could look different when the window closes as more changes are expected in the short amount of time left. Cardinale’s presence has added more intrigue and seemingly more money this summer and the very short football off season make decisions look more chaotic than they may be, so the first two matchdays before the window closes will at least feel experimental.

Abate took over Torino in a somewhat unexpected appointment by Urbano Cairo. The former Milan player and primavera coach may have some revenge on his mind in the way he was dismissed by the team (allegedly at Ibra’s behest). His team have had a relatively quiet on transfer window so far with Vanja Milinkovic-Savic’s departure to Napoli raising a few questions. If he manages to improve on last season’s 12th place in the standing he would be seen to have done well at his first experience at the top level.

Visit the forums to follow this match and everything Milan.