Whether he is about to truly break through once and for all is still too early to say, but the signs Zachary Athekame has shown at the start of this season suggest that this could be the beginning of his emergence. His start to the league campaign with Lyon has been outstanding: six appearances, two goals, two assists, and a series of high-level performances that have caught everyone’s attention. Perhaps not Igli Tare’s, however.
In fact, the former Lazio and Milan sporting director brought him to the Rossoneri in the summer of 2025 amid widespread scepticism, as virtually no one in Italy had ever seen him play. Under Massimiliano Allegri, his playing time was inconsistent, but during Milan’s ultimately unsuccessful push for a Champions League place, Athekame proved decisive on two occasions. The first came when he scored the 2–2 equaliser against Pisa deep into stoppage time; the second when he netted the goal that temporarily made it 0–2 against Genoa on the penultimate matchday.
In a recent interview with Swiss broadcaster 'RSI', Athekame spoke about his previous season in a Milan shirt:
“I look back positively on my first season with Milan. I felt very comfortable there. It was a new league for me, and a more tactical one. Then there was a change of coach. I spoke with the new manager and decided to move elsewhere. I was very happy in Milan; I am a Milan player. I’m at Lyon now, but I would like to return.”
His departure in the summer came through a straight loan move to Lyon, with no purchase option included. There, he has been working under Paulo Fonseca, himself a former Milan coach and, like Ruben Amorim, Portuguese.
The plan has been clearly defined and, at the end of the season, he is expected to return to Milan, as relayed via Tuttosport in this morning's print edition. Many at Milanello hope he will come back as a more mature player, so that he can be reassessed as a possible member of the squad for the 2027–28 season.
The decision to send him out on loan, without granting Lyon an option to buy, came after a very frank discussion with Ruben Amorim. Milan’s current coach, who has reinvented Samuel Chukwueze as a right-sided midfielder, spoke openly with Athekame after the first part of preseason and told him that, in order to develop, he needed to play regularly.
The youngster understood and accepted his coach’s reasoning, and from that point negotiations began over the move that eventually took him to Lyon.
Although fully focused on OL and on retaining his place in the national team, Athekame continues to follow Milan’s matches closely. He knows very well that a strong season for the club, ideally ending with a return to the Champions League, combined with a positive campaign of his own, could create the perfect conditions for him to return in July 2027 with renewed and potentially very different prospects.
Some in Switzerland have wondered why Milan chose to let Athekame leave for this season, but those reactions are largely driven by his performances during this opening spell, in which Zachary has been doing extremely well.
Of course, true quality is judged over the long term, but during the lengthy international break, every strong performance tends to attract even more attention.
Nor is it necessarily certain that Athekame must remain a Milan player for years to come. If he enjoys a successful season in France, the Swiss international could see his market value rise and attract clubs willing to invest in signing him permanently.
As of 1 October, all possibilities remain very much open, and only the continuation of the season will show whether, and in what direction, the situation develops.
For now, everyone at Milanello and Lyon is watching Athekame with his national team. The rest will become clear in due course.
