AC Milan: Three ways Samuel Chukwueze can turn San Siro career around

Samuel Chukwueze has rejected a €15 million offer from Trabzonspor, making it clear that his priority is earning a place in AC Milan’s plans under new head coach Ruben Amorim rather than pursuing a guaranteed move elsewhere, Afrik Foot reports.

The Super Eagles winger joined Milan from Villarreal in 2023 for €21.1 million after developing into one of La Liga’s most exciting wingers, but his time at the San Siro has been defined by unfulfilled potential rather than the consistent brilliance that earned him that move.

A loan spell at Fulham last season produced three goals and four assists in 23 Premier League appearances, contributions that caught the eye in moments but never consistently enough to convince the Cottagers to activate their purchase option, particularly after Marco Silva’s departure to Benfica removed the primary advocate behind the original loan move.

Milan had expected Chukwueze to depart this summer, and Trabzonspor’s €15 million approach represented a straightforward exit route.

However, sources close to the player confirmed to Footy-Africa that Chukwueze turned down the move to gain another opportunity to prove himself at Milan.

With his contract running until 2028, and Amorim arriving with an open mind to assess the entire squad, the Nigerian has decided that walking away now would be the wrong decision.

Amorim is understood to want to evaluate every player in pre-season before making judgements on who fits his system, and Chukwueze believes he can slot in on the right of the Portuguese’s front three, potentially as an alternative to Francisco Trincao if the Sporting winger completes his expected move to Milan.

What Samuel Chukwueze’s representative said

Babatunde Ojora’s message on the player’s behalf, as revealed by Footy Africa, revealed that Chukwueze’s rejection of Trabzonspor’s offer despite Milan’s openness to selling him, means he wants to fight for his place at the Giuseppe Meazza.

That belief, however welcome, must now be backed by actions that his Milan career has yet to deliver. The window for Chukwueze to be considered a promising talent with high potential has closed.

At 27, he is a player who has yet to perform like one, and the coming season might be the most-defining of his career as a top-level footballer.

Three ways Chukwueze can turn his San Siro career around

The first change Chukwueze must make is mental. Amorim is a tactically-demanding coach who has no sentimentality about squad building as he showed with Marcus Rashford and Alejandro Garnacho at Manchester United.

Chukwueze’s hunger must now override the playfulness that has too often made him unpredictable: brilliant one week, anonymous the next. The version of him that destroyed La Liga defences at Villarreal is what Amorim needs to see.

The second change is defensive. Amorim built his reputation at Sporting CP on a 3-4-3 system that demands high pressing levels and defensive work rate from his attackers.

They are not ornaments to be protected from defensive responsibility but integral parts of a collective defensive structure that works only when every player presses in unison and tracks runners.

Chukwueze’s defensive contribution has been one of the most consistent criticisms of his game at every club he’s played for, and if he arrives at pre-season unwilling or unable to commit to Amorim’s defensive demands, the conversation about his future will be brief and conclusive.

The third change is technical: Chukwueze must develop his set-piece delivery into a genuine weapon.

Sporting CP’s set-piece record under Amorim’s management was exceptional, and his system places enormous value on players who can consistently deliver quality from corners and free-kicks.

This is an area where Chukwueze has shown ability without ever developing it into a reliable, repeatable contribution. Becoming Amorim’s primary set-piece delivery option would give the Super Eagles winger a specific, defensible reason to be in the starting lineup even on days when his direct play is not at its most devastating.