AC Milan’s rebuilding project is set to move beyond the next transfer window. Gerry Cardinale and Ruben Amorim are planning further changes to the club structure and squad, with a new Head of Football still to be decided and January expected to bring more work. Yet the club also wants certainty around two players it considers central: Adrien Rabiot and Christian Pulisic.
The aim is to settle both contract situations relatively soon, potentially before Christmas. Milan want to enter the second half of the season with two senior figures tied clearly to the project, rather than allowing their futures to become another variable in a period of change.
Quick facts
- Rabiot is contracted until 2028, with Milan holding an option to extend by one further year.
- The club would like to offer the French midfielder a new deal through to 2031 on his current €5 million net annual salary.
- Pulisic’s present agreement runs to June 2027, and Milan have a unilateral option for an additional season.
- Milan are considering a fresh Pulisic contract until 2031, including improved wages.
- Rabiot has described a demanding stretch of nine matches in 27 or 28 days after the international break.
Amorim has already made his position on Rabiot public. Before the second league match against Venezia, the coach said he had not known the France international before arriving at Milan, but quickly came to regard him as vital to the plan.
“He is crucial to our project,” Amorim said. “I like him in every respect and I would like him to stay at Milan. If possible, I would like his contract renewed. He knows that. He is very professional, plays for France and helps the younger players in every training session. He is an important player for us.”
That endorsement carries weight at a club preparing further adjustment around the first team. Rabiot’s value is not being framed solely through his place in the starting side, but also through his experience and influence within the group as Milan seek stability during a wider overhaul.
The midfielder’s own focus remains on the schedule ahead. After France’s match with Belgium, he said the players would have a few days to recover before returning to Milanello, where a punishing run of fixtures awaits.
“There are nine games in 27 or 28 days, so it will be difficult,” Rabiot said. “We must be ready and hope there are not too many injuries.” His words reflected the responsibility Milan expect from one of their established leaders.
Pulisic talks regain momentum
Pulisic’s situation had appeared more uncertain only a few weeks ago. Initial discussions over his future did not produce the hoped-for result, but the atmosphere has since improved after the American offered reassuring comments on his mood and his place in the Rossoneri side.
The No. 11 again sees Milan as the right environment for the next stage of his career. The club, for its part, recognise that keeping him will also require a squad capable of matching his ambition and quality as the new cycle takes shape.
Milan can trigger an extra year on Pulisic’s current deal, which expires in June 2027. Cardinale’s preference, however, is not to rely on that clause but to reach a longer agreement through 2031, with a salary increase included in the proposal.
Those conversations are expected in the coming weeks. On the pitch, Pulisic will be asked to provide the same regular influence he showed against Lecce, while Milan attempt to turn two individual renewals into firmer foundations for Amorim’s wider project.
