Midfield is probably Milan’s most crowded department at the moment. Ruben Amorim is spoiled for choice, so much so that the Rossoneri eventually allowed Fofana to leave for Sevilla after already sending Ricci on loan to Como.
The undisputed starters Modric and Rabiot have remained at Milanello, alongside several alternatives such as Musah, Jashari, Loftus-Cheek and the young Comotto. For the Croatian champion, this is expected to be his final season, while Milan are working on extending Rabiot’s contract, with the Frenchman set to turn 32 in 2027.
Behind them, however, everything remains open. After an inconsistent season, partly due to injury, Jashari will have to prove that he is good enough for Milan. Musah, meanwhile, will need to build on the encouraging signs he has shown over the first two months, while Loftus-Cheek will have to earn a possible contract extension, with his current deal expiring in 2027. As for Comotto, the next few months should provide a much clearer indication of his future.
That is why Milan’s directors and scouts are already monitoring several midfielders ahead of next season. In January, the Rossoneri are more likely to strengthen other areas of the squad, Gonçalo Inácio is the primary target for the defence; another striker could be brought in to support Gonçalo Ramos and Camarda; and a left-sided wide player offering greater reliability than Estupiñán and Bartesaghi may also be considered, but by next summer, at least one reinforcement in midfield will be needed.
During the most recent transfer window, Mendes offered Milan the chance to sign Casadó, but the Barcelona academy product eventually joined Deportivo La Coruña. Meanwhile, there was no progress on other players the club liked, such as Hjulmand and Højbjerg.
For at least two years, however, Milan have been closely following the development of Yasin Ayari, writes Tuttosport in this morning's print edition, the 2003-born Brighton midfielder and Sweden international. As early as the spring of 2025, then-head of scouting Moncada had identified him as a potential target, before stepping aside for the plans of Furlani and Tare, who opted instead for players such as Modric, Ricci, Jashari and Rabiot.
Ayari has continued to impress in the meantime.
Last season he made 32 appearances, scoring four goals and providing three assists across the Premier League and English cup competitions, before also shining at the World Cup, where he scored twice against Tunisia.
Roma were monitoring him during the summer, while he is now on the radar of several clubs across Europe. His contract expires in 2027, although Brighton hold a unilateral option to extend it until 2028, which helps keep his market value high, at more than €40 million.
Ayari, who represents Sweden at international level and is of Tunisian descent, is admired by AC Milan for both his technical quality and versatility. At club level, he has been used in Brighton’s 4-2-3-1 both as a holding midfielder and as an attacking midfielder, while with Sweden he is deployed centrally in a 4-4-2.
Milan remain interested and will continue to monitor his progress.
