According to Il Resto del Carlino, Bologna are actually inclined to say no to the buy-option set by Milan for Alexis Saelemaekers. He was signed on loan initially for 500 thousand euros.
There are two main reasons for this decision: the cost of his transfer, around 10 million euros, and the ideas of the new coach, Vincenzo Italiano, who does not see the Anderlecht-grown player as a priority and would prefer to invest that money in a player more suited to his style of football.
Saelemaekers had a positive season with Bologna, being one of the key players in Thiago Motta's squad that achieved a historic qualification for the 2024-25 Champions League. He scored 4 goals and provided 3 assists in 32 league matches, playing as a right winger or a left winger in a 4-2-3-1 formation behind Zirkzee. Without the Italo-Brazilian coach, who appreciated him and helped him grow, the future seems distant.
Unless Bologna changes its mind, the Belgian will return to Milan. His contract with the Rossoneri expires in 2026, with a net salary of about 1 million euros per year.
