The love story between Milan and Theo Hernandez is at its final chapter. Like every tale that comes to an end, there is a bitter aftertaste in remembering all the beauty that was (a lot, in this case) but also everything that could have been done to avoid this break-up (a lot, here too).
The French full-back, barring new and unpredictable twists, will move to Al Hilal in Saudi Arabia, a club that courted him for weeks and, in fact, never gave up on him. The Rossoneri club will also have to work on his replacement: replacing someone like Theo, even if his last season was one to forget, is not easy.
Imminent exit...
This morning, Tuttosport takes the opportunity to rewind the tape of Theo Hernandez’s past few weeks, which have been filled with many rumors and just as many twists. At the beginning of the month, during the special transfer window session, the Frenchman was firmly opposed to the idea of a move to Saudi Arabia: his goal was to continue playing in Europe, particularly at Atletico Madrid, the only club from the Old Continent that seriously came forward. Milan negotiated with the Colchoneros, but they backed out at the most crucial moment. The Spaniards’ withdrawal and the prospect of remaining on the fringes of the squad in the year of the World Cup led Theo to reflect, eventually pushing him to reconsider the Arab offer.
AC Milan will collect around 25 million euros plus bonuses for a player who, in a year, would have left on a free; Theo, on the other hand, will cash a paycheck of over 20 million euros per year. A situation that could have been avoided, with many back-and-forths and an unclear management by the club.
Who will be Theo Hernandez's replacement?
An important chapter in Milan’s recent history comes to a close: Theo Hernandez was one of the symbols of the Rossoneri’s revival under Stefano Pioli and will leave the club after six seasons, in which he became the defender with the most goals in Rossoneri history in Serie A, one of the fans’ idols, and also one of the team’s captains. For all these reasons, and also for his uniqueness in his role—despite the difficult last season—replacing such a player will not be easy. On Igli Tare’s list, two names stand out at the moment. There’s Oleksandr Zinchenko, 28, from Arsenal, whose contract expires in 2026 and who has seen little playing time this year with the Gunners; and above all, there’s Maxim De Cuyper, born in 2000, from Club Brugge and Belgium, who has long been on the Rossoneri list but also on the radar of many other clubs across Europe.
