Liberali in AC Milan’s sights: the board steps in
The negotiation to bring Mattia Liberali back to AC Milan has entered a decisive phase. On the evening of 30 June, the first direct contact took place between the Rossoneri board and the player’s agents. Up until that point, it had been Rúben Amorim alone calling the talented youngster — reportedly multiple times a day — a constant presence that had not gone unnoticed by the entourage of the 2006-born attacking midfielder.
Today, 1 July 2026, a call is scheduled between Gerry Cardinale, Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Mattia Liberali himself — the first time the player will hear directly from the club’s top management. A symbolically significant moment: AC Milan is putting its name on the line and wants to convince the young talent that his future belongs in red and black.
What Liberali’s entourage is asking for
The conditions set by the player’s camp are clear. It is not only a matter of the financial package, which remains fundamental. Liberali’s family and agents are demanding concrete guarantees over playing time and, above all, assurances that no new signings will push him down the pecking order. A talent raised in Milan’s youth academy, who experienced senior football, has no intention of finding himself marginalised again.
There is also talk of a softer stance from Ibrahimovic compared to last season. The way Liberali was handled — shipped out to Catanzaro for virtually nothing — has left its mark. The head of AC Milan’s technical area will need to address this openly if the club genuinely wants to bring one of its most promising homegrown players back.
Como are not stepping aside: the competition is real
Como have not been standing still. The club from Lake Como had already reached a financial agreement with the player and was ready to pay the €6 million release clause to Catanzaro — a swift, decisive move that put AC Milan on the back foot. The Lariani’s position remains strong, particularly because Liberali had already given an initial yes, drawn in part by the appeal of Cesc Fàbregas as head coach.
The race is therefore wide open. Liberali’s return to AC Milan is far from certain, but today’s call could change everything. Amorim has already shown how much he values the player; now it is the club’s turn to prove the same, with actions and the right words.
A summer that could shape Liberali’s career
Mattia Liberali is just nineteen years old, yet he already finds himself at the centre of a transfer tug-of-war involving two Serie A clubs and AC Milan’s most eagerly anticipated new head coach in years. His decision will likely define the trajectory of his career: on one side, the certainty of a project built around him at Como; on the other, the call of the club that raised him, now looking to make amends for past mistakes.
For a talent of his calibre, what matters most is consistent playing time. And if AC Milan can genuinely guarantee that, the choice may turn out to be far less straightforward than it appeared yesterday evening.
