Samuel Chukwueze’s future at AC Milan has taken a new direction after newly appointed head coach, Rúben Amorim, confirmed that the Nigerian winger remains part of his plans at the Italian club.
The Super Eagles star had been tipped to leave San Siro permanently after returning from a season-long loan spell at Premier League side Fulham.
Fulham and Turkish club Trabzonspor were among the teams pushing to secure his services, while Bologna and Fiorentina were also previously linked with the winger. However, all transfer talks have now collapsed. This follows Amorim’s decision.
During his first official press conference at Casa Milan alongside club owner Gerry Cardinale, the Portuguese tactician brought an end to the uncertainty surrounding Chukwueze’s situation.
“Chukwueze will stay with us,” Amorim said as per PianetaMilan. “We need players who know how to play 1-on-1 and he is capable of that. Saelemaekers too, he can play on the right or left.
“It doesn’t matter where they come from. If they train well and have the right characteristics, we’ll find them a place. Before looking outside, let’s look inside. Then we’ll understand, paying attention to the budget. We want to do things well and choose the right players.”
Amorim’s comments represent a major shift in Milan’s previous stance, with the club earlier prepared to consider selling Chukwueze as part of efforts to generate funds for new signings. However, the arrival of the former Sporting CP and Manchester United manager has now changed the situation completely.
The Portuguese coach believes Chukwueze possesses qualities that are difficult to find in the transfer market, particularly his ability to beat opponents in one-on-one situations. Moreover, those attributes fit into Amorim’s preferred tactical approaches. These systems include the 3-4-3 and 3-4-2-1.
Rather than immediately looking for replacements, Amorim wants to assess the players already available at the club. He will focus especially on those returning from loan spells. Consequently, Chukwueze has emerged as one of the major beneficiaries of that approach.
Since joining AC Milan, the 27-year-old has registered nine goals and six assists in 63 appearances across all competitions. His first season at the club under Stefano Pioli was challenging. He struggled for consistent starts behind Christian Pulisic. Nevertheless, he still delivered two important Champions League goals during the group stage.
Chukwueze showed improvement during the 2024/25 campaign, becoming more effective in Serie A and the Coppa Italia, where he contributed five domestic goals. Before moving to Fulham on loan, he made only one Serie A appearance last season. However, his spell in England helped restore his confidence as he recorded three goals and four assists in 23 appearances.
With AC Milan’s pre-season schedule set to begin on July 13, Chukwueze is now expected to return and compete for a key role in Amorim’s squad.
Fulham had hoped to retain the Nigerian after his successful loan spell, while Trabzonspor identified him as a major target ahead of the new Turkish Super Lig season and Europa League campaign. However, neither club was able to complete a deal.
The Premier League side enjoyed Chukwueze’s contribution during his time at Craven Cottage, where he also developed a strong relationship with fellow Nigerian internationals Alex Iwobi and Calvin Bassey.
Fulham had a €26 million option to make the transfer permanent as part of the loan agreement. Although Chukwueze admitted he would have welcomed a longer stay in England, the club decided against activating the clause.
The London outfit later attempted to negotiate a reduced transfer fee with Milan. However, both sides failed to reach an agreement, leading to Chukwueze’s return to Italy.
Trabzonspor subsequently became one of the strongest contenders for his signature, submitting a €15 million offer to AC Milan in an attempt to complete the deal. The proposal was rejected. This was after two key factors influenced the outcome.
Chukwueze turned down the possibility of joining the Turkish club as he preferred to remain in one of Europe’s top five leagues and compete for his place at Milan. At the same time, the Rossoneri rejected the offer. This was after Amorim made it clear that the winger featured in his plans.
The new Milan boss views Chukwueze’s pace, dribbling ability and versatility as valuable assets for a demanding season. That season will include Serie A, domestic cup competitions and European football.
As a result, Fulham’s hopes of keeping the Nigerian and Trabzonspor’s plans to sign him have both ended. Instead of departing San Siro, Chukwueze now has an opportunity to relaunch his AC Milan career. This comes under a manager who has publicly shown confidence in his abilities before the start of the new campaign.
