Milan’s public commitment to youth has met the first demands of the season. Six competitive matches have offered only limited first-team minutes to several of the club’s academy prospects, even as Alpha Cisse has turned a promising summer into a tangible contribution in Serie A.
A policy awaiting its fuller test
When Gerry Cardinale announced the contract extensions of Francesco Camarda and Christian Comotto to 2031 two months ago, he said Milan would give priority to players developed in the club’s youth system, guide their progress and help them reach their potential for the benefit of the first team.
Ruben Amorim subsequently spoke of the need to accept some risk with young players. The opening weeks, however, have been cautious. Camarda has played eight minutes in total, Comotto and Papis Diawara are still waiting for their senior debuts, while Vladimirov continues to divide his time between Amorim’s squad and Milan Futuro.
Cisse has been the exception. The 19-year-old has scored twice across his first four Serie A appearances, showing the confidence that Amorim had already detected during pre-season.
Alpha Cisse gives Milan an early return
- Amorim used Cisse regularly through the summer and, before Torino-Milan, made clear his affection for the youngster by saying: “I love Alpha.”
- Cisse scored on his first league start.
- He then found the net again after coming off the bench against Juventus in Turin.
The forward is not yet a regular starter, but he has brought dribbling, comfort in tight spaces and an eye for goal. Christian Pulisic’s return means one of the two attacking-midfield positions behind Goncalo Ramos is likely to be occupied, while the other remains open to competition.
With domestic and European commitments ahead, Cisse should continue to find opportunities. He may be particularly useful from the bench, when his direct running can alter the rhythm of a match.
Camarda and Comotto wait behind established names
Camarda’s summer suggested a larger immediate role. After scoring twice in a friendly against Celtic, the striker was retained as Ramos’ deputy rather than being sent elsewhere. Amorim said at the end of July that Camarda would remain with the group for the season and stressed his faith in the young players working under him.
So far, Camarda’s contribution consists of five minutes away to Lazio and three more against Lecce at San Siro. That is a modest return given Ramos has scored once in six matches and Milan have not consistently created a large volume of chances.
Whether Amorim is protecting the forward or feels he requires more preparation, October should bring a sterner test of the club’s squad depth.
- Milan return from the international break to face Sassuolo.
- A trip or fixture against Salzburg follows.
- Atalanta, Bournemouth, Udinese, Bologna and Inter complete a congested run.
Rotation will be difficult to avoid, and Camarda could receive the opening that has not yet arrived.
Comotto faces a similarly patient beginning, after an unhappy Serie B campaign with Spezia ended in relegation. He had impressed Massimiliano Allegri during a tour two summers ago and has also convinced Amorim this year, leading Milan to keep him rather than arrange a loan.
The midfielder, born in 2008 and the son of a former player, has formidable competition. Yunus Musah, Luka Modric, Adrien Rabiot and Ardon Jashari are ahead of him, with even Jashari, signed for close to €40 million, finding minutes hard to secure. Comotto’s technical quality, movement and natural elegance are appreciated, but a first appearance may depend on the packed post-break calendar.
Defensive prospects develop at different speeds
Diawara, born in 2006 and known as “Papis”, is viewed as the natural alternative to Strahinja Pavlovic. His mother is from Guinea, and the nickname came from her. A left-footed central defender, he is tall, comfortable in possession and capable of defending aggressively enough for a high line in front of Mike Maignan.
He has not been used by Amorim. In the match against Benfica, Terracciano was selected instead of Gila, underlining both Pavlovic’s importance and Diawara’s distance from a first-team role. Pavlovic’s assist for Pulisic against Lecce only reinforced his value.
Vladimirov, another 2008-born defender, is being introduced more gradually. The Bulgarian stands 190 centimetres tall, has no previous senior experience and is considered capable in open-field defending. He has made four appearances for Milan Futuro, where he has become a key part of Sergio Navarro’s four-man defence.
At the end of August, Amorim said Milan had young defenders who needed matches and argued that every problem would not be solved in his first transfer window at the club. He asked for patience, noting that supporters could yet be surprised by certain players. Vladimirov’s Europa League involvement could become the next stage of that process.
He has learned Italian through his friends and names Paolo Maldini as his reference point.
Milan Futuro offers Vos and Ossola a platform
Silvano Vos is rebuilding his position within the Milan project. After the 1-1 match between Milan Futuro and Carpi a couple of years ago, visiting coach Christian Serpini described Vos and Alex Jimenez as players operating above the level. Jimenez has since moved through spells involving Bournemouth and Fiorentina, while Vos has endured physical issues, adaptation problems in Italy and questions over his temperament.
This season has offered a more encouraging chapter. The 2005-born Dutchman, developed at Ajax, has two goals and an assist from three Serie D games. Navarro’s work has included a particular psychological focus, helping Vos make use of his ability as an attacking midfielder or central midfielder. He is technically gifted, mobile and carries a threat around goal.
Lorenzo Ossola has also taken responsibility with the second team. The left-footed 2007-born attacking midfielder spent part of the summer preparation with Amorim and travelled on tour with the senior side. He has scored three goals in six games for Milan Futuro, often while wearing the captain’s armband after being chosen by his teammates.
Mauro Bianchessi, formerly in charge of Milan’s youth sector, once stopped Ossola after training and told him he resembled Fernando Redondo. Ossola was only seven and went home to watch videos of the Argentine, whose own Milan spell was badly affected by injury. Today, Ossola is among the most promising figures in the club’s development set-up.
Loans remain a search for senior minutes
Odogu joined Toulouse on loan during the summer, placing him at another club within the RedBird network. The German central defender, born in 2006, has not yet made his debut in France. Toulouse are currently 13th in Ligue 1 and have forward Casper Tengstedt, formerly of Verona, among their options.
For Odogu, the loan is intended to provide the proper senior chance he has scarcely received. Across the past two years, he has spent more time away from the pitch than on it, making only three brief appearances under Allegri for a combined 16 minutes.
Another 19-year-old, the Montenegrin prospect who gained attention as a child through YouTube clips and scored the first goal in Milanello’s opening training-game of the summer, is on loan at Sparta Rotterdam. His Dutch spell has begun slowly: three appearances, no starts and 45 minutes in all.
Sparta have also conceded eight goals across their past two matches. Milan had initially considered keeping the player between the first team and Milan Futuro, as with Vladimirov, but chose instead to send him directly into senior football. The early difficulties do not remove the room he has to develop, after a summer in which he appeared raw both technically and in character.
Milan’s youth policy, then, remains a season-long undertaking rather than an opening-month verdict. Cisse has supplied the first evidence of its value. For Camarda, Comotto, Diawara, Vladimirov and the others, the coming sequence of matches will show whether the club’s stated patience can become meaningful opportunity.
