Between the Bellingham brothers and Aurelien Guernier, appearances can be misleading. The 2007-born player recently left England on a one-way flight to sign his first contract with Milan. If anyone expected him to arrive with a wide Leão-style grin, they have the wrong character in mind: he is more like Eddie Morra in the movie Limitless, writes MilanPress, aware of being able to memorise a thousand-page book in a few seconds.
Guernier at Milan: the decision-making issues at Birmingham’s Knighthead Centre
The journey of the English wonderkid with a French passport began in a place that is almost sacred for Blues fans: the Knighthead Performance Centre. It is there that the club builds its future through pitches, a gym, meeting rooms and classrooms dedicated to video analysis. Almost a sporting scholarship system where the "Future Blues" are developed. A jewel on Redhill Road which, however, in recent years has also highlighted the club’s difficulty in retaining its best talents.
Before the Italian green light, Birmingham had done everything to keep him. Guernier had not yet made his first-team debut, and that is precisely the key point. Many young players seem ready for the next step, senior football, but at the crucial moment something breaks. Academy coaches work under constant pressure, while prospects from other academies begin to see Birmingham merely as a stepping stone. The lockers remain the same; only the name engraved on them changes.
Weaker foot still to be refined, great acceleration over the first few metres in ball carrying
Earlier we spoke loosely about the Bellinghams. Guernier does not yet possess the same technical completeness, especially with his weaker foot. Naturally a left winger, he can operate on either flank without major issues. His main weapon is his acceleration over the first few metres while dribbling. His right foot remains an area for improvement, a detail he will have time and space to work on at Milan Futuro.
In his first interviews he stated his desire to become a complete player, capable of occupying multiple attacking roles without losing composure in the final twenty metres. Last season he split his time between the Under-18s and Under-21s, scoring three goals against Chelsea, Newcastle and Manchester City, as relayed via Milan Press.
Deal handled by Kirovski
The transfer was overseen by Jovan Kirovski, involved in managing the youth project of Milan’s reserve team. Guernier will begin his development with Milan Futuro, following a trajectory similar to that of Andrej Kostic, who arrived from Partizan but is already in double figures and has two senior appearances for Montenegro.
For the 2007-born talent, Milan beat competition from the BlueCo group, which owns Chelsea and Strasbourg. The Rossoneri completed the deal by paying Birmingham only the training compensation fee provided under FIFA regulations.
