Milan Had No Youth Policy after El Shaarawy Transfer

Stephan El Shaarawy was once the star man for AC Milan but his permanent transfer to AS Roma has shocked the Rossoneri faithful. This comes after the club announced that it was ending an era in 2012 to create space for a new Milan with youth being the main focus.

After loaning him out to AS Monaco in 2015, many football fans saw it as a chance for El Shaarawy to redeem himself but the January transfer window saw a new direction which raised a few eyebrows on his second loan move to AS Roma. The deal has been made permanent after AS Roma met his buyout clause, paying €13 million and tying him to the club until 2020. This undoubtedly shows that AC Milan had no youth policy.

AC Milan’s Collapsed Youth Policy System

It started with the promotion of Massimo Donati to Milan’s senior team where he made a handful of appearances. Massimo Donati had no option but to play on loan and had loan spells with five different clubs and was finally sold to Celtic in Scotland where he became an instrumental figure in the teams setup helping the team win the Scottish Premier League in 2007/08. He now plays for Serie B side AS Bari.

Alberto Paloschi was one of the emerging talents that should have been named in the Italy Squad for Euro 2016. Paloschi realized his chances were limited at Milan so transferred to Parma and notably spent five successful seasons with Chievo Verona. He played for Swansea City under Francesco Guidolin but as at July 1 he is an Atalanta player.

Pierre Emerick Aubameyang has made the German Bundesliga his own. After his lack of chance at Milan, Milan loaned him to four different clubs in the French Ligue 1 before Saint Etienne took a chance on him. He got his big move to Borussia Dortmund in 2013 amid his performances for Saint Etienne and he has expertly filled up the void left by Robert Lewandowski and has gone on to win the 2015 CAF African Footballer Of the Year Award thanks to his goal scoring exploits.

Bryan Cristante is one of the emerging midfielders on the world stage. In 2014, AC Milan sold him to Benfica for a transfer fee of €4.84 million. Cristante was the future engine room for Milan but the mismanagement of the club and lack of a proper structure has seen him exit the club. He has had loaned spells at Palermo and Pescara since he left Milan.

The mismanagement and luck of trust for the board has seen Milan fans lose faith in the team, its decisions and policies and now wonder if wunderkid Hachim Mastour is next.