Gambles, Mavericks, Loans, and Talents: Milan’s Options to Complete Attacking Puzzle

FolioPitch.com – 04 August 2026 | As the summer transfer window nears its end, AC Milan‘s mercato appears to be blocked, leaving the directors to ponder who to pursue to complete the attacking puzzle. The keyword ‘Gambles mavericks loans and talents Milan s options to complete attacking puzzle’ is at the forefront of their minds, as they seek to strengthen their squad with a left-footed attacking midfielder to play inverted behind the striker on the right side. Ruben Amorim, the Portuguese coach, has been vocal about his desire for this profile, and the management must now determine who is the best trequartista to acquire, both in terms of skill set and cost-to-quality ratio.

Among the potential targets, Amad Diallo stands out as a familiar name, given his previous working relationship with Amorim at Manchester United. The 24-year-old has improved significantly under the Portuguese coach, playing both behind the centre-forward and as a wing-back, and has a good understanding of Serie A from his time at Atalanta. However, his value to United is too high, and it’s unlikely that Milan would be able to sign him without a big sale.

Another ambitious move for Milan is the signing of Savinho from Manchester City. The Brazilian is expected to move clubs this summer due to the competition for places, and while Milan seem unlikely to get involved, they could potentially sign him on loan. However, reports suggest that he earns €6m net per season and would command a fee of €50m, making him a difficult target to acquire.

Can Uzun, a 20-year-old Turkey international, has attracted interest from several major clubs, including Milan, due to his impressive numbers at Eintracht Frankfurt. However, he has attitude issues and an injury history, making him a gamble for the Rossoneri. Moreover, he is right-footed, which doesn’t meet the left-footed requirement.

Real Madrid’s Franco Mastantuono is another young talent who could be sent out on loan to a European club, including Milan. However, Los Blancos have set the condition that it can only be a dry loan, with no option to make it permanent. This might not appeal to Amorim and the directors, who have a multi-year project planned with the new coach.

Domestically, Milan could look to Roma’s Matias Soulé, who is believed to be open to leaving this summer. The 23-year-old has played in 111 Serie A games, with 23 goals and 13 assists to his name, and ticks the boxes for Amorim in terms of technical characteristics. However, he is valued at around €40m, which might be a stretch for the Rossoneri.

Another intriguing proposition is the return of Brahim Diaz, who has played well since his previous loan at Milan. However, Real Madrid might want to maintain control over him, and it’s unclear if they would let him go permanently this time.

Finally, Milan could look to the Premier League to strengthen their squad, with Ethan Nwaneri of Arsenal being a potential target. The 19-year-old has four goals in 24 Premier League appearances and has the potential to explode, but the fee would likely be high.

Looking at the current resources, Milan have players like Christian Pulisic, Christopher Nkunku, and Rafael Leao who can play behind the striker, while waiting for news on the Portuguese’s future. Samuel Chukwueze and Alexis Saelemaekers can be added to that group, and young talents like Alphadjo Cisse and Lorenzo Ossola have impressed Amorim. This might not necessarily mean they need to allocate a big part of the budget to the position, but it’s a call that Amorim needs to make based on how he evaluates the current squad.

As the deadline approaches, Milan might need to get creative and loosen their stance on things, which could result in the ‘Mr.X’ being someone who hasn’t yet been linked. Another train of thought is the idea that Milan might un-toggle the pre-requisite for a new signing to be left-footed and instead go for someone who is ambidextrous or even right-footed, shifting Pulisic over again.