Alvaro Morata has once again spoken about his brief time at AC Milan, including regrets about joining the club and the circumstances that led to his exit. After Olivier Giroud’s exit following the expiry of his contract, the Milan management initially wanted to invest in Joshua Zirkzee before Manchester United offered a bigger package and won the race to sign him.

As a result they turned to Morata, someone who has won virtually everything there is in European football, an experienced option who should have provided guarantees in terms of his leadership and winning mentality.

He cost around €13m, which was his release clause at Atletico Madrid. However, the Spaniard scored just six goals in 25 games and in January he pushed for an exit, joining Galatasaray on an initial loan while the Rossoneri invested in Santiago Gimenez.

Morata spoke during the ‘El Larguero’ segment on Cadena SER and explained why he thinks joining Milan was the right move, and how he ended up with the Turkish champions. Calciomercato.com relayed his comments. Do you regret joining Milan

“I think last summer I should have thought more about whether or not to leave Atletico Madrid. When you don’t feel good at a certain point in your life, you make bad decisions in every aspect. Things can’t be changed now and today I’m very happy

If I could go back, I probably wouldn’t have made that decision. Today I realise that I wasn’t able to see reality. We were champions of Europe and at Atletico there were more and more people who loved me and understood me.” Why did you choose Milan? “When you go through difficult times, you see things in a grey light even if you have people around you who love you and tell you that you are wrong.

During the European Championships this thing bothered me, then the opportunity of Milan presented itself. “The coach [Paulo Fonseca] called me every day, I needed to feel loved and appreciated. Today, looking back, I realise that Simeone loved me too. My father and my agent told me thatI was wrong.”

Could you end up in Saudi Arabia?

“I can’t say anything, I don’t know what the future holds for me. Maybe I will have the opportunity to return to another big team that needs an experienced striker

How does Galatasaray feel? “Compared to the rivalries between Real Madrid and Barcelona and Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid, the rivalry between Galatasaray and Fenerbahce is larger and far more intense.

It’s unlike anything I’ve ever seen. Over 30,000 police officers were present in the stadium when a foreign referee arrived to oversee the derby. It was amazing. They must also want me to stay, even though I would like to stay here for a long time. They are incredibly kind and treat me nicely, which makes me very happy.

I currently have a contract that runs through January of next year. Even if I’ve adjusted nicely, I still have a contract with Milan.

After the renewal of Tijjani Reijnders, more good news should come soon for AC Milan as Christian Pulisic is ready to put pen to paper.

Pulisic is one of the leaders at Milan and in his second season at the club he is cementing his status as the decisive man even during a turbulent campaign. His goals in the derby and propensity to bail the team out of a tough moment are a testament to his quality and attitude.

According to MilanNews, the current contract that ties Pulisic to Milan has an expiration date of 30 June 2027 with a salary of around €4m net per season. The Rossoneri management sought to extend that initial four-year deal, and negotiations in recent weeks have been positive.

Indeed, the winger should soon pen a new contract until 2029 (unless the FIFA rules change in the coming months) with a salary increase of around €5m net per season plus bonuses. A fair recognition for a player and a professional who has always put Milan before everything and everyone.

Pulisic could have arrived at Milan in the summer of 2022, when Chelsea phoned late in the window with an offer for Rafael Leao. The Diavolo wanted €100m to sell the Portuguese, so the Blues offered Pulisic – who they valued at €65m – plus cash.

A year later, the former Dortmund man arrived at Milan for €18m plus bonuses. He got his 50th goal contribution since arriving (30 goals, 20 assists) in the 2-1 win over Lecce, and in just 88 appearances, with his market value rocketing again.

Alessandro Costacurta has expressed his concern about AC Milan’s winter signing Santiago Gimenez, who he does not believe gets involved in the game enough.

After a red hot start with his new club, Gimenez seems to be struggling to find the net a bit more. His last goal came against Feyenoord during the second leg of the Champions League play-off tie, back on February 18.

In certain situations he has been unlucky, such as hitting the post and having a goal called off against Lecce for a marginal offside, yet there must also be some concern about the €32m investment given he was supposed to be the answer to the scoring woes.

Speaking in the Sky studios, former Milan defender Costacurta expressed his opinion on Gimenez as his drought in front of goal reached one month. MilanPress relayed his comments.

“He doesn’t seem like a driving force to me, perhaps when he arrived he was enthusiastic at the beginning, there was that adrenaline in having changed teams but then he dropped along with Milan, him like the others. The Mexican is often out of the Rossoneri’s game, he seems absent in every action,” he said.

Another thing of note in the win over Como on Saturday was that Tammy Abraham came off the bench and contributed more, getting a lovely assist for Tijjani Reijnders’ winning goal.

Ahead of the game between AC Milan and Como this evening, Matteo Gabbia spoke to the media and made it clear that the Rossoneri must provide answers.

Following the 3-2 comeback win against Lecce, Milan need to clinch three more points at San Siro tonight, but it won’t be easy against an in-form Como. Sergik Conceicao has opted for consistency with regards to the starting XI, making just two (expected) changes.

As a result, Gabbia is keeping his spot in the heart of the defence and ahead of tonight’s game, he spoke to DAZN (via MilanNews). He made it clear that even though it has been a good week at Milanello, the Rossoneri need to provide answers on the pitch.

How is the team doing?

“The coach is very good at transmitting what he wants from us. We had a good week of training and now we have to try to demonstrate it on the pitch against a difficult opponent. We are concentrated, eager and focused on doing the best we can.”

What kind of response should Milan give?

“We have to give answers every time we play, our shirt demands it. We will be satisfied if we give 100% on the pitch and if we win the match, which is what we want, if we perform as a united and compact team.”

Malick Thiaw is starting alongside Gabbia and not Strahinja Pavlovic as some reports suggested. The two have formed a good partnership at the back and the stats deceive a little, seeing as most goals Milan have conceded lately have been due to individual mistakes.

Prior to AC Milan’s match against Como, Sergio Conceicao addressed the media earlier today. He talked about possible formation adjustments, like playing with two strikers and a three-man backline. Milan needs to keep up their good work after defeating Lecce, thus tomorrow’s match is crucial.

During his press conference, Conceicao stated unequivocally that the match will be challenging, and Como manager Cesc Fabregas essentially echoed this. Conceicao was also questioned about the formation and any upcoming adjustments toward the end of the news conference. Another reporter inquired about Santiago Gimenez and Tammy Abraham playing together, while another questioned about a three-man backline to force Theo Hernandez higher.

A backline of three to let Theo attack? “I have to try to strike a balance because I can’t stop him from assaulting. As in Lecce, where he demonstrated his abilities and offered assists, we are trying to give him balance. In the final thirty meters, he can make a snap decision. Can Abraham and Gimenez play together? “It is contingent upon the match and my approach for it. Although I enjoy using two references up front, I don’t think this is the best way to start.

The Champions League train may have left, but Milan still needs to play for a berth in the Europa League, and a large crowd is anticipated at San Siro to support the Rossoneri for the encounter, which is set for 18:00 CET.

While Sottil might not have been used much so far, he is useful for Milan in various ways. Firstly on a technical-tactical level because he can play so many roles (even full-back in the Lecce win) while he is a homegrown player, making him useful for the UEFA and Serie A squad lists.

Milan have an option to buy set at €10m, which can be transformed into an almost equal swap with Yacine Adli, on loan at Fiorentina with a €10.5m option, even if his situation needs to be monitored.

Tammy Abraham

There is no doubt about who has gained between Roma and Milan in the loan exchange with Alexis Saelemaekers. The Englishman is continuing his form from the last two seasons, which is inconsistency, and it is no coincidence that Milan rushed to sign Santiago Gimenez in January.

Abraham has eight goals overall in all competitions, one very important in the final of the Supercoppa Italiana. But it will hardly be enough, unless the new coach is an admirer.

Brought in thanks to Jorge Mendes on the last day of the winter mercato, he has convinced very little, quickly becoming one of the faces of Milan’s collapse in recent months. Even Sergio Conceiçao, undeniably his admirer, initially left him on the bench in the last two games.

There is no fixed price with Chelsea for a loan with option or obligation, but the Blues would have to sell the Portuguese for €40m to avoid a capital loss in the summer. It is an amount that Milan will not spend, especially given his performance on the pitch and the probable farewell of Conceiçao.