In a surprising turn of events, Paolo Maldini, the former technical director of AC Milan, has expressed his dissatisfaction with the €30 million expenditure on Nigerian winger Samuel Chukwueze. This revelation comes amid the summer signing being heralded as AC Milan’s most expensive acquisition.
Samuel Chukwueze made a high-profile move from Villarreal to AC Milan in a lucrative five-year deal during the summer transfer window. The 24-year-old Nigerian international was expected to make a significant impact, given his impressive performance for Villarreal in the previous season, where he notched up 13 goals and 11 assists across all competitions.
However, Maldini, who departed from his role at AC Milan on June 5, shared his candid thoughts on the club’s recent transfer dealings in an interview with Italian daily La Repubblica on Friday. Maldini particularly singled out Chukwueze, stating that the player has failed to justify the substantial transfer fee in his current performances.
Despite being the mastermind behind several successful signings during his tenure, including key players like Theo Hernandez, Rafael Leao, Mike Maignan, and Fikayo Tomori, Maldini believes the €30 million spent on Chukwueze has not yielded the expected returns.
Maldini clarified, “I would like to point out that all the players who arrived were approved by me, nothing or no-one was ever imposed on me, also because I would’ve left the next day. The signing of Zlatan, in his time, required several meetings.”
Samuel Chukwueze, who has only managed one goal and an assist in 12 games for AC Milan, finds himself under scrutiny as Maldini questions the value of the hefty investment. Milan supporters will be eager to see if Chukwueze can silence the critics and live up to the expectations when the team faces Frosinone on Saturday.
