AC Milan have secured the signing of 18-year-old defender Sankhoun Diawara from French side Troyes for a fee of €3 million, the club confirmed. Diawara, a left-footed centre-back standing at 190cm tall, has signed a contract to become the understudy to Serbian defender Filip Pavlovic.
The move for Diawara comes as Milan owner Gerry Cardinale continues to take a more hands-on approach to the club’s operations, frequently visiting the training ground at Milanello and meeting with both players and staff. Cardinale was present at Milanello throughout the day, observing training and holding meetings with the sporting directors – Almstadt, Gardiner, Lomonte, Vergine and Kirovski – to discuss transfer strategy.
Milan have already been active in the transfer window, bringing in Gonçalo Ramos and Gila, but the focus has shifted towards player sales to trim a squad currently exceeding 30 players. New manager Paulo Amorim has requested time to fully assess the squad before making definitive decisions on potential departures. Several players, including Rafael Leao, Fofana, Loftus-Cheek, and potentially Tomori and Ricci, are considered fringe players and could be sold.
Alongside the Diawara deal, Milan have also secured the long-term future of young talents Christian Comotto and Francesco Camarda, with Camarda signing a contract extension until 2031. The club remains interested in adding a left-footed attacking midfielder to the squad, with Greek player Karetsas of Genk a continued target, although Borussia Dortmund are currently leading the chase. Milan’s pursuit of Karetsas is currently contingent on a sale, particularly that of Rafael Leao, with Galatasaray and Fenerbahce expressing interest, though no offers meeting Milan’s €50-60 million valuation have yet been made. Another potential target is Argentinian winger Mastantuono from Real Madrid, who is attracting interest from numerous clubs including Juventus.
Cardinale will not accompany the team on their upcoming tour of Australia and Indonesia, but may attend the friendly match against Celtic in Glasgow. His increased presence signals a renewed commitment to the club's project following a period of upheaval that saw the departure of several key figures earlier this summer.
