Chukwueze Gets Another Shot at Milan

Former AC Milan star Serginho believes Samuel Chukwueze deserves another chance at the Italian club. The Nigerian winger impressed during pre-season under new coach Ruben Amorim.

Chukwueze joined Milan from Villarreal in the summer of 2023. He struggled to find his place at the club and was loaned to Fulham last season.

Now, the 27-year-old is back at Milan with a fresh chance to show what he can do. Serginho thinks Chukwueze can finally reach his potential at San Siro.

“I was already following him in Spain, at Villarreal, and he was very strong, decisive. At Milan he was less so, at least until now. Now, however, he’s proving he deserves a second chance,” Serginho said via SempreMilan.

The former Brazil international warned that Chukwueze will need to adjust to the defensive needs of Amorim’s system. He has mostly played as an attacking winger in his career.

“Of course, in the new system he’ll have to change his way of playing: he’ll have more defensive duties, he’ll have to drop back more, with movements almost like a right-back,” he added.

“In pre-season he attacked well but also struggled in defence, especially when faced with fast, left-footed opponents, or in quick changes of play where he needs to learn to be more ready.

“He has different characteristics; he tends to think only about the attacking phase: now he’ll be called upon to make a big change. It’ll be up to Amorim to understand whether he can complete himself or not.”

Chukwueze has started well in his second spell at Milan. His performances suggest he could have a key role under Amorim in the 2026/27 season.

The Nigerian was one of Milan’s best players in their pre-season win against Manchester United on Saturday. He scored once and assisted two goals in the 4-2 victory in Wroclaw.

Amorim tried out different positions during pre-season. Chukwueze’s performance against United showed he could be useful in the wing-back role.

Even though this position means he has to focus more on defence, the new setup seems to give him room to use his speed, dribbling, and attacking skills.

Chukwueze is eager to seize this chance after returning from Fulham.

“Yes, he’s a good coach. He trusts me, so he gave me an opportunity. Now it’s up to me to seize it. He simply gave me faith, and I think I have to take advantage of it. I can’t waste this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, returning to Milan after my loan,” Chukwueze told La Gazzetta dello Sport.

“Although it’s a position I have to adapt to because I’ve never played in this position in my career. As a footballer, if a coach wants you to play in this position, you have to do it by believing in yourself and in the coach, because he knows what he wants.”

Chukwueze returned to Milan after Fulham chose not to use the €26m purchase option in his loan deal.

Last season, he made 23 Premier League appearances for the London club, scoring three goals and providing four assists. He also built a strong partnership with fellow Nigerians Alex Iwobi and Calvin Bassey.