Milan face Inter and half of Europe in race for Ilicevic, Eintracht’s new gem
AC Milan are keeping a close eye on Niko Ilicevic, a very young talent at Eintracht Frankfurt. Milan face competition from Inter and many of Europe’s biggest clubs for the player born in 2010, who has already made a record-breaking Bundesliga debut.
Milan will be among the leading players in the January transfer window. They are working to meet Ruben Amorim's immediate needs while planning for the future, with Europe's best young talents in their sights. Bobby Gardiner, who oversees algorithms and scouting, has already sent Milan's scouts out. In January, the club will try to use future sporting director Krosche's contacts in Germany to make a move for Niko Ilicevic
A precocious talent: Born on 31 October 2010 in Aschaffenburg, Germany, Ilicevic is left-footed and can play as an attacking midfielder or out wide. He joined Eintracht's youth academy in 2018, aged just eight, and rose quickly through the ranks. He made his Under-17 debut at 13, followed by his first Under-19 appearances a year later at 14. This year, aged just 16, he made a record-breaking first-team debut.
Into the record books: After his breakthrough in the Youth League last season, many expected the German talent of Croatian descent to get a first-team chance during the season. Nobody expected it to come so soon. Ilicevic's first official minute on the pitch put him in the Bundesliga record books. He came on with the match virtually over in the 3-1 win against Hamburg on 1 November, becoming, at 16 years and one day old, the youngest debutant in the German league, jointly with Youssoufa Moukoko. Two shots on target in one minute impressed manager Adi Hütter, who gave him a full 26 minutes in the following match, a 2-2 draw against Paderborn.
Inter face competition across Europe: Niko Ilicevic has long been on the radar of the world's biggest clubs. Inter, as Sky Sport has reported for some time, were the first Italian club to make a move. Real Madrid, Barcelona, Arsenal, Bayern Munich and Manchester City are also monitoring his development, with Barcelona making an attempt in recent days.
Scouts on the ground: Milan have decided to make their move despite the fierce competition. They have repeatedly sent scouts to watch him in person and begun sounding out the possibility of a transfer. One of Europe's most sought-after young players, Ilicevic is the nephew of former footballer Ivo Iličević, a Croatia international who played for several German clubs, including Hamburg, Nuremberg and Kaiserslautern. Niko will soon have to make a choice. His first professional contract does not protect Eintracht from a move by the world's biggest clubs.
