On Saturday, he will be an opponent and the player Massimiliano Allegri will keep under close watch, because Mateo Pellegrino is Parma’s main attacking outlet. The Argentine striker, in Emilia since February 2025, could also become a transfer target for Milan. The Rossoneri scouts have already seen him live (along with goalkeeper Suzuki), and the reports arriving at Via Aldo Rossi are positive. At 22, he still has significant room for development.
Could he reinforce Allegri’s team as early as the next January window? Possible, but not guaranteed. Parma are fighting to stay in Serie A and will not want to lose their centre-forward. Milan, meanwhile, after the summer spending, are not looking for another permanent signing for their attack (as they did with Gimenez and Nkunku), but rather a loan with an option to buy. Still, among the names on their list, alongside foreign options such as Joaquin Panichelli, the 23-year-old Argentine at Strasbourg, Jonathan Burkardt, 25, of Eintracht Frankfurt, and Roma’s Dovbyk, who was targeted late in the summer window before the Gimenez swap fell through due to the Mexican’s refusal to move to Rome, Pellegrino stands out.
Mateo Pellegrino's development:
The son of Mauricio Pellegrino, former defender of Barcelona, Liverpool, and Valencia, and Rafa Benitez’s assistant at Inter, Mateo made his debut for Vélez while his father was head coach. This season, he scored a brace against Torino that gave Cuesta’s team their only Serie A win so far. He added three more goals in the Coppa Italia, though it is clear he could have scored a few more in the league. It must be said that Pellegrino has less than a year of Serie A experience (he was handed his debut by Chivu last season) and Parma have not often put him in scoring positions, as relayed via La Gazzetta dello Sport.
He feels comfortable in Italy, gaining experience and adjusting to a different footballing style from Argentina. His qualities have not gone unnoticed at Milanello: a classic number 9, tall and strong (192 cm), dominant in the air, and able to hold up play when the team plays long. He has grit, presses with intensity, and links well with teammates. Last season, he scored twice against Torino, his favorite opponent, and once against Juventus. Allegri will need to plan how to mark him, relying mainly on the aerial skills of Gabbia and Tomori. Still, one day, Allegri might end up coaching him.
Compared to the players Milan are tracking abroad, Pellegrino has the advantage of already knowing Serie A, which means he would not need time to adapt. His price is also reasonable, given that Parma paid €2 million plus 50% of any future resale. He has the right age profile and strong growth potential. For these reasons, he remains an option for the January market or a longer-term target, depending on his development and Gimenez’s situation, as the latter is currently sidelined with an ankle injury, writes La Gazzetta dello Sport in this morning's print edition.
For now, Pellegrino is focused only on helping Parma stay up. He hasn’t scored in Serie A since September 29, when he beat Torino, and is eager to end his drought on Saturday night. This time more than ever, one goal could change his future and convince Milan that investing in him would be the right move to aim higher.
