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AC Milan ready to loan out Nigerian defender David Odogu
AC Milan are prepared to send Nigerian defender David Odogu out on loan this summer, with Mainz 04 and Anderlecht among the clubs showing interest, while Super Eagles forward Samuel Chukwueze is expected to remain at the Italian club for the coming season.
Ruben Amorim was appointed AC Milan head coach this summer and has begun reshaping his squad. Some players have been allowed to leave, while others have been brought in as the new manager decides which members of his team will form part of his plans.
Chukwueze was one of those whose position at the club had been uncertain. However, Amorim has indicated that he wants the Nigeria international to stay at AC Milan next season.
The situation is different for Odogu, who could depart temporarily in search of regular first-team football.
AC Milan signed the centre-back from Wolfsburg for €7m last summer, but his first season in Italy was limited by a lack of playing time. The 20-year-old made only three appearances for the senior side and also spent periods playing for the club’s youth team.
With three years remaining on his contract, AC Milan are now seeking a loan move rather than a permanent transfer. Football Italia reports that the Rossoneri will consider loan proposals for Odogu, with Bundesliga club Mainz 04 and former Belgian Jupiler Pro League champions Anderlecht understood to be the principal interested parties.
Odogu is also open to leaving AC Milan because he wants the opportunity to play more regularly. A return to Germany may be the most likely outcome, given that he joined the Italian club from a Bundesliga side and has spent most of his life in the country.
Born in Berlin to a Nigerian father and a German mother, Odogu is eligible to represent either Germany or Nigeria at international level. He has so far played extensively for Germany’s youth teams, appearing for the Under-16, Under-17, Under-18, Under-19 and Under-20 sides.
The defender has not expressed a desire to change his international allegiance to Nigeria at this stage. However, that could change in the future if he does not receive a senior call-up from Germany, leaving open the possibility of him eventually representing the Super Eagles.
At 6ft 3in, Odogu has the physical size expected of a central defender and is regarded as strong in one-on-one situations. He is also composed when in possession and has shown an ability to read the game effectively.
A loan move would give him the chance to build on those qualities through more regular senior football. Odogu will hope that a spell away from AC Milan can help him fulfil his potential after a difficult first campaign in Italy.
