AC Milan have officially confirmed the departures of Joao Felix, Kyle Walker and Riccardo Sottil after their respective loan stints with us.
The trio joined the Rossoneri in January, but ultimately didn’t do enough in the second half of last season to convince the club to make their moves permanent.
READ MORE: New offer submitted as Milan step up pursuit of top transfer target
Felix made 21 appearances for the club, contributing just three goals and one assist, while Sottil was limited to just eight appearances and totalled 141 minutes of football.
As for Walker, the 35-year-old featured 16 times for Milan, as injuries limited his impact during his stay.
Nevertheless, it’s arguably the sensible decision across the board with all three players to not extend their time with us as we move on and rebuild under Massimiliano Allegri, with all three falling short of the expectations that many perhaps had when they arrived as Milan thanked the trio in a string of posts on social media, effectively bidding farewell to them now that their loan agreements are set to expire.
It had been hoped that Walker’s experience would add solidity to our backline along with additional energy going forward, while Felix had the potential to be a creative force in the final third with a key role as our playmaker when involved.
That didn’t materialise as the months went on, and it was a contributing factor to what was a bitterly disappointing campaign for multiple reasons, and that in turn has led to important changes being made this summer ahead of next season with the squad being moulded to suit Allegri’s demands.
That said, question marks have to be raised over the sense of making those additions midway through last season from the previous management structure, as Felix and Walker in particular wouldn’t have been cheap deals, and their respective salaries wouldn’t have been low either.
However, Milan will turn the page on that chapter and start afresh this summer, and with sporting director Igli Tare leading our recruitment alongside Allegri, it’s hoped that we make smarter decisions in the transfer market that will help us become more competitive in both the short-term and long-term future.