Multiple sources in Italy and France claim Milan are in talks to take former Genoa striker Pietro Pellegri on loan from AS Monaco.
The 20-year-old centre-forward was a sensation at Genoa when he shattered several records, becoming the youngest player to score a Serie A brace at the age of 16 years and 184 days.
He earned a €21m move to Monaco in January 2018, but his career stalled due to a series of injuries, including surgery on a groin tear that kept him out for a whole year.
Footmercato reported this morning that Milan were in talks to take Pellegri on loan, and it is now confirmed by Sportitalia and Sky Sport Italia.
His contract is due to expire at the end of this season, so Pellegri must first extend with Monaco and then complete the switch to Milan.
The Rossoneri have been looking for a younger element to their strike force to work with Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Olivier Giroud.
Oh how I prayed for this guy to come to Milan back when he was a teenager at Genoa. I don’t even know what has happened to him in the last three years of injuries.
Hoping for the best though. Physically he’s the right profile.
Pellegri should’ve stayed at Genoa. It is a club that goes thru a lot of changes, and most likely pushed him to move. But the kid and especially his influential father should’ve never allowed him to move abroad at such a young age. Similar aged players like Raspadori and Scamacca have jumped ahead of him. In 4 seasons at Monaco, Pellegri has played 25 games. Even a loan move to a Serie B club in that period would’ve yielded more progression. Pellegri has everything to be a top player, and lead the national team’s front line. No doubt money was THE factor for the woeful move. I would absolutely love him at Milan, but will we see the player who terrorised Roma on the day when we were supposed to be saying goodbye to Totti?
There’s no point dwelling on how things could have been different – he might have suffered the serious injuries and played just as little in Italy. He’s still only 20 and Mancini played him the end of last year, so while I agree Raspadori and Scamacca have impressed more since then he is in no way out of consideration. I think a move to Milan, where he can work with Ibra and Giroud, but should still have the opportunity to get plenty of playing time if he is fit, could be a great way to get his development back on track.
Injury prone .. get someone else