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Thank you, Franck Kessie and Alessio Romagnoli

Sumeet Paul

AC Milan have bid farewell to two key players this summer, with Alessio Romagnoli and Franck Kessie moving on after their respective contracts expired.

While the club taking a strong stance on players and their respective contract positions is admirable and the right decision in most cases, there is a contrasting argument against their recent dealings.

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Milan have seen Gianluigi Donnarumma, Romagnoli and Kessie leave on free transfers over the past two summers, three players all in their 20s and with the prime years of their careers ahead, while we’ve played a pivotal role in making them better players than when they first featured in the first team.

With that in mind, from a business perspective, it is certainly disappointing to an extent that we haven’t been able to cash in as such on their departures which in turn could have been reinvested in the squad.

That said, the Milan management have put a wage limit in place to manage the overall expenditure and ensure we’re in a sustainable and financially healthy position moving forward, and if players don’t fit within that, then they must move on and we continue to find top replacements to fill the voids.

Nevertheless, it’s important to also not forget the contributions from both Romagnoli and Kessie during their time at Milan.

Romagnoli made 247 appearances for the Rossoneri after joining us from Roma in 2015, while Kessie featured 223 times after arriving from Atalanta in 2017.

Both were with us during difficult times where we struggled to secure a return to the Champions League, and even before that where challenging for a European spot was a challenge in itself as we languished down the league standings. However, they were also with us up until our return to the top of the tree in Italy after our Scudetto triumph last season.

Their quality, leadership, experience and commitment were all crucial attributes in helping to build a squad capable of achieving what we did last year, and the culture that they undoubtedly helped develop, regardless of whether or not they were in the side, was a key factor in our ability to transition and evolve into a successful team over a lengthy period of time.

While Milan and Stefano Pioli will rightly feel confident in those that will step up and replace them long-term, with Fikayo Tomori and Sandro Tonali set to take on that responsibility on a bigger scale, it’s hoped that the contribution that both Romagnoli and Kessie made to our success isn’t forgotten.

Personally, it’s only right we thank them for being part of our history and helping us get into a better position compared to when they arrived, and that is what you hope for from any player or manager and our hope moving forward is that they’ve laid the foundation for plenty more success to come for Pioli and this group.

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