AC Milan has made a definitive statement regarding the future of Yacine Adli, Tommaso Pobega, and Pierre Kalulu by leaving them out of the squad for their opening match against Torino. This decision is not merely a tactical one; it is closely linked to the transfer market situation. The club is preparing for a season without these three players, and they must now consider this reality.
In the case of Pierre Kalulu, his choice appears to be between staying at Milan or accepting an offer from Juventus, which is not a bad option for him. The two clubs have reportedly reached an agreement: Juventus would pay €3.5 million for a loan, followed by a €14 million purchase option, plus an additional €3 million in bonuses and 10% of any future sale. Milan seems willing to let Kalulu go for the sake of squad balance and registration limits. Currently, he is a backup option to both Emerson Royal and Calabria on the right side, and one of the five central defenders, likely sitting behind Tomori, Pavlovic, Thiaw, and Gabbia in the pecking order.
One complicating factor for Milan is their limited number of homegrown players, notably Calabria, Gabbia, and Pobega. They also have few players with Serie A experience like Sportiello, Florenzi, and Terracciano. This scenario means that three significant players will need to be excluded from the Champions League roster, with Kalulu and Adli both being primary candidates for this omission. Keeping them could create major issues for the Serie A roster as well, where there is a little flexibility since Musah can be categorized under the Under-22 rule.
As for Yacine Adli, the coming days are poised to be crucial. Just a year ago, he nearly left Milan, with clubs like Eintracht Frankfurt showing strong interest. Coach Stefano Pioli had taken him on the club’s tour in the United States, where Adli seized the opportunity and became a regular starter for a time. However, the outlook this time is largely different, with a transfer abroad, possibly back to France, looking increasingly likely for the midfielder.