AC Milan’s transfer window is entering its most critical and intense phase. With the summer window closing in fast, the squad at Sérgio Amorim‘s disposal still has clear gaps to address, and the club’s leadership is under pressure to act decisively. This week, Gerry Cardinale, the owner of RedBird Capital Partners, which controls the club, is expected to return to Milanello. He will meet with the Portuguese coach alongside Gardiner and Ahmad to assess the current situation and map out the final moves of the session.
Incoming Business Still at a Standstill
As of 11 August 2026, Milan have completed three official signings: Gonzalo Ramos, the Portuguese striker still recovering from injury; Mario Gila, the central defender; and a young left-footed defender, 1.90m tall, signed from Troyes for a modest fee. The latter cannot realistically be considered an upgrade for the starting eleven.
Looking at the first-choice line-up, the only genuinely new faces compared to last season are Ramos and Gila. The Portuguese forward has featured for barely any minutes during pre-season, and in the last friendly against Chelsea he was practically invisible in attack. Gila, meanwhile, is still working his way back to full fitness following his return from injury at Milanello.
How Many Signings Does Milan Really Need?
The answer is clear: Milan need at least three new arrivals to consider the squad genuinely competitive across all fronts. Attempting a full season covering Serie A, the Europa League and the Coppa Italia with the current roster would mean relying too heavily on squad players, with a real risk of the quality dropping at crucial moments in the season.
In attack, the situation is particularly complex. Rafael Leão is not a natural attacking midfielder; Christopher Nkunku, despite his undeniable talent, has been inconsistent; Christian Pulisic has repeatedly been hampered by physical setbacks. There has even been talk of deploying Adrien Rabiot in the number ten role — a position he occupied at Marseille under Roberto De Zerbi — but moving him forward would weaken the midfield and break up the tried-and-tested partnership with Luka Modrić.
The Risk of a Last-Minute Window
Cardinale himself had publicly stated his intention to get transfer business done earlier than in previous years, avoiding the chaos of the final days of August. Yet here we are again, chasing time, with several departures in the pipeline — Terracciano, Ricci, Giménez — and precious few incoming deals finalised. The hope is that the upcoming summit between the American owner and the coaching staff will deliver a clear and definitive direction, identifying the right profiles to raise the squad’s quality — starting from the first eleven and working outwards from there.
Time is running short, but Milan have the resources and the ambition to close this window on a high. With Amorim at the helm and an ownership group that dreams big, the foundations for something special are firmly in place.
