Tuttosport: Milan left with regret as Sporting CP star’s valuation rockets towards €80m

Going into the summer window, one of the names on AC Milan’s wish list was Issa Doumbia. He didn’t end up arriving, and could now be a regret.

Tuttosport report that Massimiliano Allegri and Igli Tare had their sights set on Doumbia in April to bolster the Milan midfield. They were looking for a box-to-box player who could combine ball-playing skills with physicality when out of possession.

They were then bewitched by the ‘Bergamo Octopus’, as Doumbia was nicknamed when he made his Serie C debut for AlbinoLeffe. This is why the then Milan sporting director had already begun discussions with agent Cheick Fall to try and finalise the deal.

However, things took a completely different turn in the weeks that followed. Milan had a managerial shake-up at the end of the season (Tare and Allegri were fired, Ruben Amorim was brought in) and so the pursuit was never followed up on.

In hindsight, it was a mistake to ‘forget’ Doumbia , considering the potential and growth already shown in Portugal. This was also seen in evidence by his debut as a starter for the national team against Turkey last week.

A rocketing reputation

Allegri hadn’t forgotten about Doumbia and – in the weeks following his departure from the Rossoneri – he also put forward his name to his new directors at Napoli. The timing was not right though, as Sporting CP had already wrapped up the deal.

The 22-year-old flew to Portugal to wear the green and white shirt of the Lisbon club for just €20m plus €6m in bonuses. It is a fee that the Portuguese club are convinced they will at least triple within a year or two, when they potentially sell him.

It’s no coincidence that the midfielder’s contract, which runs until 2031, includes a release clause of €80m (effective July 1st). If Doumbia continues at the current level of performance, buyers from the Premier League could soon appear.

His latest big performance came in the Champions League, where the Treviglio-born midfielder carried Sporting CP to victory over Lens. It was a commanding display, enhanced by Doumbia’s signature move, a lethal run into the goal area that pierced the French defence and sealed the 2-0 win.

Speaking of goalscoring prowess, last season Doumbia was among Venezia’s key players in their promotion to Serie A, with eight goals and six assists. These top-notch performances initially attracted interest from Italy’s top clubs, but they failed to make the move, leaving Sporting the path open.