Ruben Amorim keeps preparing the beginning of the season with AC Milan, now reportedly leading a massive squad overhaul with Christopher Nkunku, Fikayo Tomori, and Youssouf Fofana placed on the transfer list.
Ruben Amorim has taken over as head coach at AC Milan following a series of executive board changes triggered by disappointing results last season, with the goal of restoring the team to top form. As part of his squad revamp ahead of the campaign, the Portuguese manager has reportedly decided to place Christopher Nkunku, Fikayo Tomori, and Youssouf Fofana on the transfer list.
On Thursday, August 13, Gerry Cardinale, RedBird Capital Partners founder and owner of AC Milan, returned to the city following his previous visit in late July. There, the Italian-American businessman met with Amorim to finalize squad needs and strategic moves for the final two weeks of the transfer window.
According to Sky Sports Italia, Fikayo Tomori, Youssouf Fofana, and Christopher Nkunku have all been made available for sale by AC Milan. The decision came directly after the meeting between the manager and the team owner, where Amorim designated the trio as expendable for his upcoming campaign.
Tomori and Fofana both started in Amorim’s first two preseason matches against Celtic and Inter Milan. However, in the final friendly against Chelsea, both the Englishman and the Frenchman were left on the bench as unused substitutes, foreshadowing their likely exit from the Rossoneri.
Rafael Leao of AC Milan shoots against Wesley Fofana of Chelsea. (Peksi Cahyo/Getty Images)
On the other hand, Nkunku came off the bench in the second half against both Inter and Chelsea. Given Amorim’s preference for a system with dual number 10s, the 28-year-old Frenchman was expected to play a central role, but his future now appears to lie elsewhere.
Tomori’s situation requires the most immediate attention since his contract runs through June 2027, forcing the club to find a buyer before risking a free-agent exit. After investing 35 million euros ($38.5M USD) for the defender in 2021, 26 million euros ($28.6M USD) for Fofana in 2024, and 37 million euros ($40.7M USD) for Nkunku in 2025, AC Milan are hoping to recoup roughly 98 million euros ($107.8M USD) for the three players.
Leao’s future has a direct impact on Nkunku staying
In central defense, AC Milan are well-stocked, and with Amorim deploying only two central midfielders, a high-profile departure like Fofana was bound to happen. However, Nkunku’s fate appears to be tied directly to the future of Rafael Leao.
Following the conclusion of the 2025-26 season, Leao made clear his desire to seek a new challenge, opening the door for an exit from AC Milan. Two months and a World Cup have passed since, but no definitive progress toward a transfer has materialized.
While reports linked Leao to Turkish clubs, the forward has no interest in moving to that region. With AC Milan setting a 50 million euro price tag, no suitable offers have been brought to the board. Amorim started Leao in the recent friendly against Chelsea and plans to keep him in his core setup alongside Christian Pulisic in the dual 10 role, effectively leaving Nkunku as the odd man out.