Former AC Milan technical director Paolo Maldini has criticized the Rossoneri’s €30 million investment in Samuel Chukwueze, labeling it a squandering of funds.
Chukwueze made the switch to Milan from Villarreal in a five-year deal, marking him as the club’s most expensive signing of the summer.
Maldini, who announced his departure from Milan on June 5, reflected on his time as a director at the club in an interview with the Italian daily La Repubblica on Friday. He expressed disappointment that the 24-year-old has failed to live up to the expectations associated with his substantial transfer fee.
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Despite Chukwueze’s impressive record of 13 goals and 11 assists for Villarreal last season, he has managed only one goal and an assist in 12 appearances for AC Milan.
Theo Hernandez, Rafael Leao, Mike Maignan, and Fikayo Tomori were among the key players brought in by the Rossoneri legend during his tenure.
At the 2022 Globe Soccer Awards, Maldini and his collaborator, Frederic Massara, were named Sporting Directors of the Year.
Maldini expressed his discontent with the summer signings, stating, “There was no need to sign Loftus-Cheek, Pulisic, and Chukwueze.”
“You cannot compare the previous four transfer windows to the last one. Milan had different quality options, unlike this summer,” he added.
Maldini emphasized that all the players who arrived were approved by him, asserting that nothing or no one was ever imposed on him, as he would have left the next day if that were the case.
“The signing of Zlatan, in his time, required several meetings,” Maldini concluded.