Former Rossoneri international scout Danilo Pagni reveals how AC Milan missed on Diogo Jota, Ziyech, Mason Mount, Phil Foden and Jack Grealish.
Today Milan is one of the most active clubs in finding international talent, as suggested by the very low average age of Pioli’s squad. A project that is working, under the direction of Paolo Maldini and Ivan Gazidis. Yet a few years ago the club did not seem to look favorably on perspective signings.
Danilo Pagni, talent-scout and former AC Milan collaborator, right-hand man of former sporting director Massimiliano Mirabelli revealed troubling details in a recent interview.
Pagni’s revelation concern Yonghong Li’s reign as AC Milan president from April 2017 to summer 2018. At that time the mercato of the Rossoneri was entrusted to Mirabelli, a talent hunter who, however, neglected the advice of his old collaborator.
“I pointed out several future champions to the Rossoneri managements – says Pagni – For example I wanted AC Milan to sign Hakim Ziyech, today at Chelsea. Everyone at Ajax was talking about De Ligt or De Jong, but I was obsessed with the Moroccan. I wanted to bring him to Italy“.
Many current Premier League talents were suggested to Maribelli: “I also pointed out Phil Foden, whom I had scouted in the Youth League and the Under 17 World Cup. Diogo Jota, who I first saw in Portugal U21 match against Switzerland, and Mason Mount, who played half-winger at Vitesse on the left. Jack Grealish drove me crazy, he played as attacking midfielder with his socks lowered like a player of the 60s. I wrote a message to the management saying that in my opinion he was to be signed. Two years later Grealish exploded”.
But for Pagni the faults of these missed signings are not only Mirabelli’s: “He had too little time to build the team, only one transfer session. I understood that Milan had no future and the owners had to sell the club soon, so I decided leave”.
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