Omari Hutchinson landed shortly after 8pm last night at Linate’s private-jet terminal. He had left Luton a couple of hours earlier. This morning, he will undergo his medical tests, followed by the fitness tests required for competitive sporting eligibility. In the afternoon, he will head to Casa Milan to sign his contract, which will be for one year plus a further three.
According to La Gazzetta dello Sport in this morning's print edition, the player arrives on a paid loan worth €3.5m, with Milan holding an option to sign him permanently for a fee close to €50m. He will wear the number 20 shirt, which he wore during his two years at Ipswich Town and reclaimed in recent weeks at Nottingham Forest after wearing number 21 last season. Number 20 had previously belonged to Jota Silva, who joined Besiktas in September before Lorenzo Lucca took it in January.
The number 10 shirt, therefore, remains available after being vacated by Leao. Had Modric not already played in number 14, he would probably have taken it, but the Croatian cannot change numbers now. In theory, Pulisic could take it, as he has never used the number, but the American has not expressed any such intention for now.
Milan-Hutchinson: a different option
Hutchinson provides another solution for the right attacking-midfield role and has different technical characteristics from Rabiot and Loftus-Cheek, who interpret the position in a more physical manner. The left-footed Englishman will look to exploit his ability to cut inside and shoot.
He should not be considered Leao’s replacement, as the Portuguese winger would have played on the left, where Milan have Pulisic, Cisse and, when required, Saelemaekers.
Omari wanted the Rossoneri shirt to test himself and relaunch his career in a league different from the Premier League. He has already spoken to Amorim by phone, with the coach explaining how he intends to use him. His ability to play in tight spaces and his willingness to press have impressed the coach.
The deal with Nottingham Forest, structured with a purchase option, allows Milan to avoid taking a major financial risk on the player's permanent transfer. Forest, owned by Marinakis, paid €45m for him last summer, but he inevitably lost some of his appeal during the past season, when he failed to achieve the results he had hoped for.
If Hutchinson returns to his previous level, Milan will seriously consider signing him permanently. As a 2003-born player, he is someone the club can build around.
As with the other players signed so far, there is complete agreement over Hutchinson between Amorim, who appreciated him during his time at Manchester United, Cardinale and the other members of Milan's transfer team at Via Aldo Rossi.
He arrived last night accompanied by his father Leon, his brother O'Shaye, his girlfriend and his agent. The team will train at Milanello this morning, meaning he will meet his new team-mates over the coming days.
As he does not hold an EU passport, he will have to return to the UK to obtain his residence permit. However, the paperwork required to register him will be completed in time to ensure he can be available for the match in Turin.
Opportunities
With Hutchinson's signing, Milan believe they have completed their incoming transfer business, although that could change if an important opportunity presents itself during the final two, or slightly less than two, days of the transfer window.
That could be in midfield, where Rabiot could return to the double-pivot once Omari becomes a starter, or in defence.
In the latter department, however, the club's management and Amorim feel comfortable with the options currently available: Mario Gila, Koni De Winter, Strahinja Pavlovic, Matteo Gabbia (who has struggled over the past two weeks due to the after-effects of an ankle problem) Sankhoun Diawara and Valeri Vladimirov.
The latter two will respectively provide cover for the Serbian defender and the former Lazio player. There are also Filippo Terracciano and Davide Bartesaghi, who can operate as the outside centre-backs in a back three.
If a particularly convincing candidate becomes available, the club could reconsider its position, but not simply to sign another player for the sake of adding numbers.
As Amorim explained: "We have young defenders who need to play, and perhaps you will be surprised by some of them."
