AC Milan Strike Deal to Sign Zachary Athekame from Young Boys

AC Milan have agreed to sign Swiss player Zachary Athekame from Young Boys for €10 million and a 10% sell-on clause. The 20-year-old right-back will soon travel to Milan for his medical examination and contract signing, with a contractual agreement already reached until 2029.

TRANSFER AGREEMENT REACHED

AC Milan have reached an agreement with Young Boys on a €10 million transfer fee and a 10% sell-on clause for the highly-rated full-back Zachary Athekame. Athekame, who played 61 minutes from the bench against Sion at the weekend, will now prepare to sign for the Serie A club. The deal is nearly finalized with a fee reported to be just under €10 million, as noted in a recent report.

AC Milan successfully fended off interest from clubs in France and Germany to land Athekame’s signature. He will remain in Switzerland before traveling to Italy once personal terms are finalized. It has been confirmed that Athekame has already agreed to personal terms with AC Milan until June 2029.

IMPACT ON MILAN’S SQUAD AND YOUNG BOYS

AC Milan have been pushing to reinforce their back line after poor defensive displays, and the departure of players like Thiaw to Newcastle and Hernandez to Al Hilal. The club aims for at least a top-four finish in the new Serie A season after missing out on European spots last season, as they look to improve defensively ahead of the new campaign. Athekame is seen as a versatile full-back, praised for his pace and attacking instincts. Milan are preparing for a busy start to the season, with their opening fixture in Serie A against Cremonese, who is back in Italy’s top tier after gaining promotion from the Serie B. Young Boys, after finishing 3rd in the Swiss Super League last campaign, now have a gap to fill in defense right before a crucial Europa League qualifying match against Slovan Bratislava, with both teams aiming for a group stage berth.

WHAT TO EXPECT NEXT

Athekame will join up with Milan’s squad once he completes his medical tests and signs his contract. Coach Massimiliano Allegri is expected to slowly introduce Athekame into the first team line-up, given the step up in standard and tactical demands of Italian football. Milan fans can hope to see him involved early in the season, especially with league matches and their Champions League campaign. Meanwhile, Young Boys will have to act quickly in the transfer market to replace a key player as they prepare for their Europa League decider against Slovan Bratislava, with the winner moving on to the group stages.