Chukwueze: Why Athekame’s Lyon move could boost Super Eagles star at AC Milan

Samuel Chukwueze’s chances of playing a bigger role at AC Milan have received a boost after the club agreed to send Swiss defender Zachary Athekame on loan to Olympique Lyonnais, Afrik-Foot reports.

Milan are making important changes to their squad ahead of the 2026/27 season under new head coach Rúben Amorim. While Athekame is heading to France for regular first-team football, Chukwueze is set to stay in Italy after Amorim decided that the Nigeria international still has a place in his plans.

The two decisions are closely connected because Athekame and Chukwueze can operate on the right side of the team. Athekame’s departure should give the Nigeria international more space to compete for minutes as Amorim continues to develop his new tactical system.

AC Milan and Lyon have reached a verbal agreement for Athekame to spend the entire 2026/27 season in France, according to FantaCalcio.

The 21-year-old Swiss defender joined Milan from Young Boys and can play as a right-back or right wing-back. His temporary move to Lyon is a dry loan, meaning there is no option or obligation for the French club to buy him when the season ends in June 2027.

Lyon will also pay 100% of Athekame’s salary during the loan. The decision came after Athekame struggled to find a place in Amorim’s early plans. He did not feature in Milan’s pre-season meetings with Inter Milan and Chelsea, while the coach gave more attention to players who fit his preferred system.

Athekame’s Lyon move opens the door for Chukwueze

Amorim has been using a 3-4-2-1 formation, with the right wing-back position playing an important role. Instead of using Chukwueze only as a traditional winger, the Portuguese coach has started working with him in a deeper role on the right.

Chukwueze was used in that position during Milan’s pre-season friendly against Chelsea, giving him a chance to adapt to the demands of the new system.

The tactical change is important for the Nigerian. Chukwueze returned to Milan this summer after spending the 2025/26 season on loan at Fulham, who decided not to activate their option to sign him permanently.

Despite reports linking him with another move away from Milan, Amorim has chosen to keep the 27-year-old in his squad. Athekame’s loan now further improves Chukwueze’s chances of getting regular opportunities on the right. Alexis Saelemaekers is also competing for the position, but Chukwueze’s pace and attacking ability give Amorim another option in the role.

The Nigerian’s task is now simply to make the opportunity count. Regular appearances, goals and assists could strengthen his position at Milan and give him a better chance of becoming an important part of Amorim’s plans.

That would also benefit the Super Eagles, who need their senior attacking players playing regularly at top European clubs. Athekame’s departure has therefore created more room for Chukwueze. The former Villarreal man now has the chance to turn Amorim’s tactical experiment into a regular role at San Siro.