Ruben Amorim's overhaul: Milan list Nkunku, Tomori and Fofana

Ruben Amorim is steering AC Milan into a massive squad overhaul, placing Christopher Nkunku, Fikayo Tomori and Youssouf Fofana on the transfer list as the Portuguese manager seeks to restore the club to top form after a season of disappointing results.

Strategic overhaul after a disappointing season

Amorim took over as head coach following a series of executive board changes that were triggered by last season’s under‑performance, and he arrived with a clear mandate to revamp the roster. On Thursday, August 13, Gerry Cardinale, founder of RedBird Capital Partners and owner of AC Milan, met with the Portuguese manager in Milan to finalise squad needs for the final two weeks of the transfer window.

Following that meeting, Italia reported that AC Milan have made Christopher Nkunku, Fikayo Tomori and Youssouf Fofana available for sale, with Amorim designating the trio as expendable for his upcoming campaign.

In preseason, Tomori and Fofana started the first two friendlies against Celtic and Inter Milan, but both were left on the bench for the final friendly versus Chelsea, signalling their likely exit. Nkunku, by contrast, only featured as a second‑half substitute against Inter and Chelsea, making him the odd man out in Amorim’s preferred dual‑number‑10 system.

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Financial stakes of the transfer list

Tomori’s contract runs until June 2027, forcing AC Milan to secure a buyer before he can leave on a free transfer. The club previously invested €35 million in Tomori in 2021, €26 million in Fofana in 2024 and €37 million in Nkunku in 2025, and now hopes to recoup roughly €98 million from the three sales.

Central defence is well stocked and Amorim typically deploys only two central midfielders, so the departure of a defensive midfielder like Fofana was anticipated. Nkunku’s future, however, appears linked to the situation of forward Rafael Leão, who has expressed a desire to leave after the 2025‑26 season and has been linked with Turkish clubs despite his lack of interest.

AC Milan have set a €50 million price tag for Leão, yet no suitable offers have materialised, leaving the club to balance the need for a new attacking option with the ongoing squad reshuffle. Amorim has started Leão in the recent friendly against Chelsea and intends to keep him alongside Christian Pulisic in the dual‑10 role, effectively marginalising Nkunku.

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The next steps involve finding a buyer for Tomori before his contract expires, resolving Leão’s transfer ambitions, and converting the listed players into revenue that can fund Amorim’s vision for a refreshed AC Milan squad.