Milan contract gamble on 400-goal sensation has Guardiola licking his lips

AC Milan record-breaker Francesco Camarda was widely expected to sign his first-ever professional contract upon turning 16 on March 10, but it’s being reported that all parties plan to delay the completion of a three-year deal until July.

The 15-year-old sensation became the youngest Serie A player in history when he replaced Luka Jovic during November’s 1-0 win against Fiorentina. Milan had to get special dispensation to field the academy graduate in the first team given his age at the time.

He’s a Milan goalscoring record holder too, having scored 485 goals in only 89 academy matches for the Rossoneri. He is also an international for Italy’s under-15, under-16 and under-17 sides.

Camarda’s contractual situation explained

Camarda’s stunning rise has alerted top clubs around Europe, who might be hoping to tempt him and his representatives into considering a future away from San Siro.

Among those interested are Borussia Dortmund and Manchester City, who might look at the latest contract delay as a chance to pounce for the forward.

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Italian sources state that by delaying the contract until summer, the club should be able to extend it through 2026-27 when Camarda turns 19. Were he to sign now it would only be valid through to the summer 2026.

He scored two goals in September’s 4-0 UEFA Youth League win against Newcastle, becoming the youngest Italian to score in the under-19 competition.

In November, he netted an overhead kick in the same competition against Paris Saint-Germain.

Milan optimistic of keeping hold of Camarda

Despite those links to Dortmund and City, FootballTransfers exclusively reported in September that Camarda was happy with life at Milan and would not be seeking an exit.

The contract delay is not expected to be a complication to the club’s plans but could be a sliver of hope for those clubs seeking to lure him away from his boyhood club.

La Gazzetta Dello Sport is sufficiently worried that they published a report this week, highlighting the similarities between Camarda’s situation and those of ex-Italy wonderkids like Arturo Lupoli and Federico Macheda, who opted to move abroad rather than sign professional deals with their formation clubs.