Peppe Di Stefano, Milan correspondent for Sky Sport Italia, was interviewed by Pietro Balzano Prota, director of Milan Vibes, after reporting live from Milanello. This is the second part of the interview.

The only problem is that there are just 15 days left until the close of this summer transfer window, and this is the pain point I want to discuss with you in depth: in this passive situation, how can we successfully sell Nkunku, Fofana, Tomori, or Odogu in the final 15 days? I don't know, and if a player of Leao's caliber is also involved, it could trigger very complex chain reactions. We could even talk about this for several hours...

As management, you must have extremely strong operational skills and negotiation techniques. Moreover, it largely depends on the player’s willingness to cooperate, because not every player who is told to leave will readily compromise. Some players might say to the club: "Thank you very much, but I choose to stay here because I have great confidence in myself. Or rather, I firmly believe that I can regain my place here."

But sorry, let me interrupt you: isn’t the significant risk precisely this? You informed the player early that he is not part of the team’s new plan, but if, in the end, during the last 15 days, both parties cannot reach an agreement in the transfer market and fail to find a new club, the result is that after the transfer window closes, you are still stuck with a redundant player who has been completely excluded from the plan by the coach and cannot play...

Yes, this risk is very specific and real. Usually, if you clearly inform the player of this on June 1st, when the window has just opened, the player will most likely be persuaded over the next two months and eventually agree to a transfer, because you can choose not to let him participate in friendly matches or not take him to training camps.

In the current situation, however, a player who is not part of the plan might think: "Let's wait and see; I'll stay here for now." Then, when the season starts, after the third game, perhaps the team's record is two draws and one win, or two losses and one win, the coach finds himself short-handed and urgently needs a midfielder. And I – for example, Fofana – happen to be in the team, so he might be forced to recall me to play. Therefore, to solve this problem, all relevant parties now need to show great reason and common sense.

Based on the information you have, will these marginalized players still travel with the team or participate in normal joint training tomorrow? Have you received any definite news, or is there still no news at all?

I haven't received any definite news yet, but I tend to think they won't be with the team. In other words, if they continue to take part in joint training with the team, it would make little logical sense. So, this is now a critical moment not only for words, but also for actual decisions. I think this will also be directly reflected in daily training. Although I'm not saying they have now been divided into two completely separate, unrelated groups for training—in my opinion, it hasn't reached the level of complete isolation seen with Bond and Zeroli back then—I believe this is already an established and irreversible direction.

Before I ask you the last two quick questions about "new signings" – I know we're very short on time – let's talk about Rafael Leao first.

Regarding Rafael Leao, if you decide to sell him, the primary prerequisite must be finding a replacement of equal caliber. If you simply cannot bring in a player of the same quality to replace him, then my most direct judgment is this: it is best not to sell him. Unless you are in extreme financial urgency or simply cannot find a suitable replacement, do not sell him. He is still the Leao we know — although his performances are extremely inconsistent, sometimes good and sometimes bad, he is undoubtedly still the most talented player in the entire Milan squad and one of the most talented players in all of Italy. This instability is the biggest Achilles' heel of his career.

Furthermore, he has not recently worked with a coach who fully matches his aura on a technical, tactical, or even psychological level. I firmly believe that by the age of 26 or 27, his personality and playing style will essentially be set, making a complete transformation difficult. At the same time, I am also convinced that the romantic story between him and Milan has, in fact, come to an end. But as mentioned before, we have already missed the best time to handle this transfer.

Some of Rafa's previous statements were quite serious, and in my opinion, the club should have put an end to this story much earlier and more decisively. But he did return to the team on time for summer training, and the club also gave him the No. 10 jersey, symbolizing his status as a core player. He also showed fighting spirit on the field, rediscovered his form, and got along very well with his teammates. So my current intuition is this: he wants to stay. I'm telling you my true thoughts; I think he really wants to stay at Milan.

If a truly formal and substantial offer arrives, Milan's management must be smart and tactful enough to convince him: "Perhaps, for the future of both of us, choosing to part ways this summer is the best outcome for everyone." But I must reiterate: you must buy players, you must strengthen the squad in the market. The time until the summer window closes is really very, very, very tight; you must buy players.

So, what kind of new signings do you think will arrive? Milan fans are anxiously asking us every day: "Oh, it's already the 13th, the 15th, so why haven't we made any heavyweight signings yet? We crave new players and hope to maintain the confidence to compete for the championship and dream!" What realistic expectations do you think Milan fans can have today?

In my opinion, regardless of how the departures of Nkunku, Leao, or others progress, Milan will definitely bring in a first-team-level attacking midfielder. Let’s not forget that, in addition to Caretas, Milan’s management originally wanted to bring in Liberale and had always been considering him, which means the idea of strengthening this area has long been deeply embedded in their plans.

And from what we currently know, Milan's internal transfer budget and quota may not depend entirely on the Cash generated from player sales. At this point, on August 13th, Milan's absolute top priority is sporting performance, not pure accounting and financial statements. They know very well that it is extremely difficult to find financially perfect buyers for all the players to be offloaded in just 15 days. Therefore, for the team's performance, decisive decisions must first be made at the sporting level.

Peppe, one last question. This is a question fans might find difficult to believe is genuine, but I still want to ask you sincerely: has there really been a disruptive change within Milan this summer?

It has completely changed, yes, because from now on this is entirely a project led by Cardinale. In other words, he is fully in charge now. We always see him at Milanello; he personally decided on the head coach, and he personally formed the current core management and working team. There is no doubt about that.

Of course, we cannot yet predict whether this new management structure will lead the team to victory in the future, but one thing is absolutely certain: this is definitely no longer the Milan of the past three years; it is a Milan completely different in personnel, logic, and operational methods, led by new forces.

These managers—I'm sorry, I should call them executives, not just "people"—will actively avoid the glare of the cameras and spotlights, working extremely discreetly behind the scenes. I'm referring to people like Bobby Gardner, Almstadt, and Lomonte, who are the real movers and shakers, quietly running this club away from the limelight. In the spotlight, there are only two people: one is Ruben Amorim, who is responsible for the technical and tactical aspects and coaches on the Milanello front line; the other is Cardinale, who manages all other matters, big and small.

Of course, there is a third person, Calveri, the CEO responsible for the core and critical financial and administrative operations of the project, plus Zlatan Ibrahimovic as an advisor after his return. However, my personal feeling is that we may not see Ibrahimovic at the forefront very often this year. Therefore, the Rossoneri have now become a completely "Cardinale-centric" and "Amorim-centric" Milan. Completely so, without reservation.

I still want to reiterate my point: in life, I have always firmly believed in making clear choices. Living in the Gray area between black and white is useless to anyone. This is RedBird's current team-building project, and their willingness to follow this clear path firmly this summer is highly commendable. As for whether these major decisions will ultimately succeed or fail, only time can deliver the fairest judgment.

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