The five AC Milan players who could leave in January

Carlo Garganese

• 5 Jan 2022 19:57 GMT
• 4 min read

It has now been over a decade since AC Milan won the Scudetto but over the past 18 months the Rossoneri appear to be finally getting back towards the top of Italian football.

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They led the Serie A standings for the first half of last season before eventually finishing second.

Meanwhile, in 2021-22, they are in a good position to challenge champions Inter for the Scudetto.

But, in order to maintain their challenge, they will need to make a few tweaks in January. And that will also result in some players potentially leaving.

Here, we look at the AC Milan players who could depart in the winter window.

Franck Kessie

AC Milan are at grave risk of losing yet another key first-team player for nothing in 2022.

This past summer, the Rossoneri had to watch on as Gianluigi Donnarumma and Hakan Calhanoglu joined PSG and Inter, respectively, on Bosman transfers.

Milan are understood to have offered him a new deal worth €6-6.5m a year which they will not go higher than. Kessie is demanding at least €8m.

Thus, rather than lose him on a free, Milan could decide to cash in during the January window – especially as Kessie’s form has been well below par this season. Many of Europe’s big clubs are interested in the Ivorian, including Man Utd, Liverpool, Tottenham and PSG.

Samu Castillejo

Samu Castillejo is a very unpopular player with the AC Milan fans, who have often resorted to booing the Spaniard.

Milan tried to sell Castillejo this past summer, offering him all over Europe but the winger rejected numerous offers.

The Rossoneri responded by omitting the former Villarreal wideman from their Champions League squad.

He has made just a handful of appearances in Serie A this season and will be up for sale again in January.

Andrea Conti

Andrea Conti is another Milan player who has been completely frozen out of the first-team squad this season.

Despite the Rossoneri suffering an injury crisis for much of the campaign, Conte has not made a single appearance.

Mario Giuffredi, Conti’s agent, has confirmed that the right-back will leave in January but ruled out the chance of a move to Genoa.

Daniel Maldini

The son of football legend and current Milan director Paolo Maldini and grandson of Cesare Maldini, the footballing genes are certainly strong in the Maldini household.

The 20-year-old Daniel has been a regular in the first-team squad this season, making eight appearances and even scoring a memorable goal against Spezia.

However, most of these have been substitute appearances and a loan move away in January for more regular action may do the attacking midfielder good.

Alessio Romagnoli

Following the season-ending injury to Simon Kjaer, it is unlikely that Alessio Romagnoli will leave Milan in January.

The Rossoneri already will probably have to go into the market for one new centre-back so having to sign two seems virtually impossible.

Until Kjaer’s recent injury, there was a chance that Romagnoli would be sacrificed as his contract expires at the end of the season and, like Kessie, Milan would prefer to make some money on him.

But, so impressive is Milan’s scouting team, that it’s not completely impossible they could sign two new younger players and let Romagnoli go.