After the match with Udinese, Lecce's coach Marco Baroni proved to be prophetic: "(Lorenzo) Colombo is a talented young man, we need him." A week later, it was indeed the 21-year-old striker who scored the goal in the victory against Monza, thus securing his team's stay in Serie A. He scored from a penalty in the 100th minute, showing great character. It was his fifth goal of the season, yet another crucial one, following his decisive goal against Lazio and the goals that secured draws against Napoli and Udinese.
AC Milan have been observing the growth of their young player from a distance throughout the season. The Rossoneri still have control over the player: Lecce have signed him on loan with a buyout option for 2.5 million euros, while Milan secured a counter-buyout option for an additional 500 thousand euros. This indicates that the club truly believes in the striker, and in the future, the Rossoneri's attack could be in his hands.
Some changes will occur in the forward line this summer: Divock Origi and Ante Rebic will be leaving, Ibrahimovic will have to decide what to do, and the market will bring in a young forward who can provide continuity, alternating with Giroud. It is not ruled out that Colombo could be part of this revolution, but for now, Lecce is holding onto him tightly. He has scored six goals (5 in Serie A and one in Coppa Italia), the same as Ceesay, with only Strefezza surpassing them with nine goals.
The idea is to redeem Colombo at the end of the season, while waiting for a counter-move from Milan. However, the Rossoneri had other plans for the summer: they wanted to loan him out, but Pantaleo Corvino insisted on including the buyout option until the last moment. And in the end, he got his way. After a year of working together, Baroni has no doubts: "(Lorenzo) Colombo will have a great career." Today he is the savior for Lecce, tomorrow he may return to Milan.
Source: Calciomercato.com
