Simic slips through the cracks [Bonus Article]

At the time of writing, Jan-Carlo Simic’s move to the Belgian side Anderlecht has just been announced. It’s a disappointing turn of events for AC Milan fans, who really have come to like the centre-back since he made his debut last year. On the other hand, there’s only so much that the Rossoneri can do to keep their talents.

Simic arrived from Stuttgart in 2022 and immediately caught the attention of those who watch the Primavera closely. He was a key figure in bringing Ignazio Abate’s side to the semi-finals of the UEFA Youth League and there was no doubt about his qualities, combining strength with defensive awareness. Thanks to this impressive debut season, he was called up for pre-season with the first team.

Most of us can vividly remember the friendly clash against Real Madrid, in which the Serbian played from the first minute. For a player of his age, then 18, he looked incredibly confident and calm in his actions. This is getting more and more common among youngsters (just think of Francesco Camarda), but it’s still something that separates the proper talents from the talents.

In any case, he eventually made his official debut with the first team, coming off the bench against Monza and finding the back of the net thanks to great movement inside the box (still 18 then, by the way). A few more appearances with the first team, in addition to his work with the Primavera, confirmed that he could become something truly special and many of us were hoping to see him with Milan Futuro - plus the first team - this season.

That won’t be the case, of course, as Anderlecht reached an agreement with Milan for a €3m transfer with a 20% future resale clause. It’s a deal that has upset many of the Rossoneri fans but as we will get into, there’s only so much that the Rossoneri could have done in this situation. Whether we like it or not, sometimes we have to say goodbye to our talents.