AC Milan are set to undergo major changes this summer, as the club has a new board of directors and manager. There will likely be a lot of signings and departures to evolve the team. This will be especially true in attack with the departure of Rafael Leao, and the need for a clinical nine shaking up the entire team.

The departure of Leao will lead to more spotlight coming on Christian Pulisic. Leao leaving will likely see him promoted to the leader of the attack. However, his future in Milan is still uncertain as his contract expires at the end of next season, which leaves question marks over where he will play next season.

Christian Pulisic of Milan and Rafael Leao of Milan disappointment during the Serie A match between AC Milan and Udinese Calcio at Giuseppe Meazza…

Pulisic was close to a deal to stay with Milan until 2030, but this fell through with both parties. Milan could be forced to pay Pulisic with Leao gone or else he could consider a move elsewhere. This is especially true with Gazzetta Dello Sport reporting that Pulisic could get a higher salary elsewhere.

MLS side, New York City FC have opened contacts with Pulisic’s agents on a deal that would take him back to his home country. This comes as it is a very attractive offer for Pulisic, salary wise as it will be higher than Milan. It would also bring him back closer to home with his family.

However, AC Milan aren’t open to selling Pulisic this summer. Both, Gerry Cardinale and Ruben Amorim both consider Pulisic as a key part as the project that they are building for the future. This could lead them to up his salary to 7 million euros per season especially if Leao is to leave Milan this summer.

Last season was the first season of managing Inter Milan for Cristian Chivu, and it was one that ended up successfully. Inter managed to complete the domestic double winning the Scudetto and Coppa Italia. However, it wasn’t pure excitement for all players as some suffered under Chivu’s new coaching.

One of these was Davide Frattesi, who saw diminished gametime under Chivu. Frattesi could have been sold in January to Nottingham Forest, but it was dependent on Inter Milan signing Curtis Jones a deal that didn’t happen. Inter now find themselves in similar situation trying to sign Curtis Jones and sell Davide Frattesi.

Curtis Jones of Liverpool controls the ball during the Premier League match between Liverpool and Brentford at Anfield on May 24, 2026 in Liverpool,…

However, Tuttosport is now reporting that Frattesi leaving could be happen in a swap deal. This comes as Inter Milan are exploring the possibility of signing Dan Ndoye. There was limited rumours for Ndoye to Inter in January, but nothing that eventuated.

Inter are exploring the possibility of signing Ndoye again, now that they need a replacement for Denzel Dumfries. Dumfries left Inter as Real Madrid activated his 25 million release clause. Ndoye is valued by Nottingham at 35-40 million, while a swap deal could bring the price Inter has to pay, as Frattesi is valued at 30 million.

However, he is not the only option for a swap deal, as Frattesi could stay in Italy. This would be a move to Juventus for Andrea Cambiaso he could be on his way out of Turin. Juventus manager, Luciano Spalletti is a known fan of Frattesi which could help the move.

Andrea Cambiaso of Juventus Fc gestures during the Serie A football match between Torino Fc and Juventus Fc. The match ends in a tie 2-2.

Negotiations have fallen through between the two clubs, with a swap deal being a cold prospect. But, Inter Milan missing out on Marco Palestra could allow for the deal to be back open. Juventus has been open to selling him this summer, but Inter will have to compete with foreign clubs.

Alternative options

There is still deals that Inter could make, which wouldn’t see Frattesi involved in a swap deal. Brooke Norton-Cuffy is a target name for Inter, as they made attempts to sign him in January. That deal fell through similar to Jones but could happen again now that summer is here.

Dodo from Fiorentina is still an option for Inter Milan, but a deal for him looking unlikely. He is already being followed with Roma and Napoli who would compete with Inter for a deal. The signing of Dodo would also see Inter change their tactics somehow, which they won’t want to do coming off a domestic double.

Marco Palestra has been one of the hottest names in the Serie A transfer market, after his breakout campaign with Cagliari. He began a hot name amongst Europe’s elite clubs. However, personally he seemed set on staying in Serie A as he wanted to continue his development in Italy.

This lead him to Inter Milan as they where the main suitor in Italy for him. Inter have recently lost Denzel Dumfries to Real Madrid who activated his 25 million release clause. The Nerazzurri begun looking for his replacement and saw Palestra as the perfect option due to him being younger.

Denzel Dumfries of Netherlands during the FIFA World Cup 2026 Group F match between Netherlands and Sweden at Houston Stadium on June 20, 2026 in…

Initially, Inter and Atalanta had disagreements over the deal, as they only wanted to spend 40 million euros. Atalanta, insisted on 50 million euros instead however the two managed to come to an agreement. The deal came close to closing with only talks for bonuses and sell-on clauses to be completed.

However, David Ornstein beagan reporting that Inter Milan faced competition from Chelsea. There was no final deal between the two clubs so Chelsea decide to look into the deal. Chelsea decided to look into the deal at the request of new coach Xabi Alonso’s request.

Chelsea managed to flip Marco Palestra easily, as he decided to take a move into London rather than Milan. This came after a direct phone call with Xabi Alonso which led him to accept the deal. Nico Schira is reporting that Palestra has accepted a contract to join Chelsea until 2o33.

He is also reporting that Chelsea have managed to agree terms with Atalanta on a deal. Chelsea will have to pay 60 million euros to complete the deal. This is 1o million more than Inter initially offered however, but the deal will likely have no sell-on clauses or bonuses which will benefit Chelsea.