Luka Jovic has been excluded from the list that Milan sent to UEFA. The Serbian striker will not be part of the players available to Paulo Fonseca for the upcoming league phase of the new Champions League format.
This decision comes as no surprise, especially after the signing of Tammy Abraham, who arrived on loan from Roma in exchange for Alexis Saelemaekers.
Giorgio Furlani's words:
As mentioned, this decision had been made and agreed upon in advance by the entire Rossoneri coaching staff, especially the coach. During the press conference presenting the new signing Tammy Abraham, the CEO of the club, Giorgio Furlani, spoke about it: "Why did we renew Jovic and then sign another forward in addition to Morata? We have three competitions plus the Supercoppa. There are many games, so it makes sense for us to have three forwards."
The plan egarding Luka Jovic at AC Milan...
Moving forward, we try to outline what the future might hold for Luka Jovic in the Rossoneri jersey from now on. Milan will participate in three competitions (Serie A, Champions League, Coppa Italia), plus the Supercoppa Italiana, which will surely give Fonseca the opportunity to rotate his squad, allowing each player to have their own space.
Jovic's exclusion, however, from the list for Europe's top competition puts him in an uncomfortable position: third choice, behind Alvaro Morata and Abraham. Not exactly the fate the former Fiorentina player expected after renewing his contract this summer: Jovic's ambitions were made clear by his decision to inherit the number 9 shirt from Olivier Giroud.
The upcoming period, though, will be challenging for the 1997-born player, whose chances to shine and contribute will be limited to sporadic appearances, especially after his unconvincing debut against Torino, where he started the match.
In this sense, Jovic had always believed that the contract renewal exercised in June was a clear, calculated, and direct statement from Milan that they were betting on him. However, as the weeks passed, this conviction quickly turned into uncertainty, though the Serbian striker had always seen Milan as an end goal rather than a new starting point: that's why he never considered the offers he received in early July from Zenit Saint Petersburg and a couple of clubs in Saudi Arabia and Qatar. But now the scenario has completely changed: Jovic is the high-profile exclusion from the Rossoneri squad, though things could change in the next 10 days.
On Luka Jovic's future with Milan...
In recent days, Milan had already informed his agent, Fali Ramadani, to find a new destination for his client. The agent's numerous contacts could still open up a new opportunity for Jovic: although the summer transfer window has closed in Italy, the top 5 European leagues, and in the Netherlands and Saudi Arabia (countries from which the Serbian had received some interesting offers), there’s still a lifeline to hold onto. Milan is still open to Jovic’s departure (though the chances are slim and depend on his will).
The Turkish Super Lig will allow incoming transfers until September 13, and the possibility of his departure cannot be ruled out, regardless of Jovic’s thoughts or Furlani’s statements, as relayed via Calciomercato.com.
