Zlatan Ibrahimovic, RedBird’s senior advisor for AC Milan, held a press conference at Casa Milan to announce the club’s latest signing, Youssouf Fofana, who has joined on a permanent deal from Monaco. The French midfielder is the final piece requested by manager Paulo Fonseca, but may not be the last transfer operation for the Rossoneri.
Explaining the decision to sign Fofana, Ibrahimovic stated, “We were looking for a midfielder who can keep the team balanced. He’s a complete player who can break lines and score goals. It was one of the longest negotiations, but now what matters is that he’s here.”
While declaring the squad complete, Ibrahimovic hinted at potential further activity: “The team is complete, we’re very happy and I welcome him to Milan. As of today, we don’t need to bring in other players because with these four signings we have two players for each role, we have Milan Future with many talents, and we don’t need to sell anyone because there are many matches. Then the market ends when I say so. We’re on day six of seven in building Milan. Our four signings were our priorities even before Fonseca’s arrival.”
Ibrahimovic praised Fofana as “the most complete of all” and addressed ongoing contract renewal talks with key players: “We’re talking with Theo and Maignan. Everything is under control, everything is okay. We know what we want from them and they know what they want from us. It all resolves in a minute or with a bit more time, but everything is okay.”
The Swedish legend also commented on his son’s recent performance: “He’s working hard. It’s not easy with my surname and having a father who has done what I’ve done, it’s not easy. But I’m happy for him.”
Regarding the influx of French talent, Ibrahimovic noted, “We know it’s a country with great talents. I played there for four years and there’s a great school of talents with players who become top, and for us, having them is a source of pride, especially when they bring results. The important thing is a compact, united team and results.”
On Fofana’s potential, he added, “Youssouf is still young. He has room for growth. Then he brings balance and stability. We’ve brought the backbone of the team in this market, which will give balance to the team. We really like his profile, then it’s up to the coach to make him perform at his best. We’re sure he will greatly improve Milan, then how he’ll play depends on the coach, he brings a lot on the field both defensively and offensively.”
Ibrahimovic also addressed the club’s strategy regarding young talents and potential further signings, including interest in Manu Koné. He emphasized the team’s European ambitions, stating, “Ours is a team for both Italy and Europe, but perhaps more for Europe. That’s where we want to return to the top. We have important players with international experience. The Champions League is the Champions League. Anything can happen or nothing can happen.”
In conclusion, Ibrahimovic outlined the club’s long-term vision: “We want to confirm ourselves year after year, we want to be competitive in the present and in the future. We’ve brought in a coach who has a different identity than before. We’re at the top in Italy, but it’s in Europe that we want to return to the top. There are no excuses here, we play for all trophies and we fight.”
