How Ruben Amorim Plans to Utilize the Player Benfica Let Slip Away

News broke yesterday in Italian football: AC Milan has reportedly reached an agreement with Strasbourg to acquire Diego Moreira for €45 million, according to Gazzetta dello Sport. The deal is already considered a done deal in both Italian and French media, with the 22-year-old player set to travel to Milan for his routine medical examinations.

The young talent came through Benfica's academy and represented Portugal at youth level before opting to play for Belgium, earning a call-up for the 2026 World Cup. At Benfica, Moreira won the Youth League in 2022 and made two appearances for the senior team that same year. However, the following year, he left Benfica on a free transfer and signed with Chelsea. In the 2022/23 season, he played for the Blues' U23 squad, made one senior appearance, and was then loaned to Lyon before convincing Strasbourg to invest two million euros in his signing.

Over the past two years, he made 76 appearances for Strasbourg, scoring seven goals and providing 17 assists. A quick and audacious player on the ball, the French club is now set to make a fantastic profit from the player, in whom both Milan and Ruben Amorim have placed their trust.

Moreira's signing is seen as a strategic investment for Milan's future, a clear indication of the club's new policy. This approach favors investing a higher sum in a player they strongly believe in, similar to the acquisition of Gonçalo Ramos (who could cost €72 million).

The selection of the young talent was a unanimous decision within Milan's new market structure. The player's technical attributes appeal to Amorim, and, above all, according to Gazzetta, the move was championed by Gerry Cardinale, the club's owner. Cardinale views Moreira as a symbol of the club's new direction: a young, talented player with significant potential for future appreciation. The conviction is that, within a few years, his market value will far exceed the €45 million invested now.

The youngster stands out for his versatility, capable of operating as a left-sided winger, fitting perfectly into the 3-4-3 formation synonymous with Ruben Amorim's teams, or as one of the two supporting players behind striker Gonçalo Ramos. In this advanced area of the pitch, Milan already boasts options like Pulisic, Loftus-Cheek, Saelemaekers, Alphadjo Cissè, and occasionally Rabiot. Moreira will add dribbling prowess and creativity, having already performed various roles on both the left and right flanks, where he can cut inside to utilize his left foot.

Interestingly, on August 2nd, Diego Moreira posted several photos on social media training in the jerseys of different clubs. He even wore a Sporting Lisbon shirt with Debast's name on the back, but the one that now draws the most attention was a photo in a Milan jersey (with Saelemaekers' name). An image that has become a premonition, given the rapid acceleration of this deal. After Ramos and Mario Gila, the Belgian will be the third major signing of the Amorim era.