AC Milan are actively negotiating with Yacine Bondo's representatives to bring the French midfielder back into the first-team fold after he failed to secure a move away during the summer transfer window. The 21-year-old has trained in isolation since pre-season began on 13 July, excluded from head coach Ruben Amorim's squad plans following loan spells at Monza and Cremonese.
Bondo's situation represents a significant headache for the Rossoneri hierarchy. Milan recruited the midfielder in January 2025 for approximately €10 million plus €2 million in performance bonuses under the stewardship of previous chief executive Ivan Gazidis and sporting director Paolo Maldini. However, his limited impact at Cremonese—where injuries and reduced playing time hampered his development—prompted the club to seek a departure. Milan valued Bondo at €8 million this summer, yet the asking price proved prohibitive for most suitors.
Transfer Window Struggles and Contract Reality
The French midfielder rejected offers from Turkish sides Corum and Erzurumspor, as well as MLS franchise San Jose Earthquakes, holding out for an opportunity with a top-tier European league. That opportunity never materialised. With no takers at his valuation, Bondo remains contracted to Milan until 2029 on wages of €1.5 million net annually—a financial commitment that complicates any potential solution.
Over recent days, Bondo's entourage have intensified dialogue with Milan's leadership to engineer a pathway back into competitive action. The club's decision-making body must now choose between attempting to offload him at a reduced fee, loaning him out again, or accepting him as a squad depth option under Amorim's tactical system. This unresolved case reflects Milan's wider transfer strategy challenges as they balance squad investment with player development and market realities in an increasingly competitive Serie A landscape.
