David Odogu was the first deal directly between AC Milan and Toulouse, though it is not expected to be the last.

Calciomercato.com write that synergy between clubs can lead to helpful developments. Milan know something about this, having officially signed Diego Moreira from Strasbourg on August 19 for a monstrous €45m plus €20m in bonuses.

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What is the relevance? The Belgian had been sold permanently by Chelsea to their sister club Strasbourg in the summer of 2024: too young for such a competitive environment, but perfect for the ambitious French club’s size.

Two seasons of high-level performance have skyrocketed his valuation, much to the delight of the American consortium BlueCo. RedBird Capital have an excellent relationship with BlueCo. which they were able to leverage to get Moreira. Now, a relationship with Toulouse could blossom too.

Who Milan could sign

Toulouse have never compromised their philosophy of building a young, promising squad by working with data and international scouting. The system is both ambitious and risky in terms of the league table, as young players aren’t expected to do everything right away.

Goalkeeper Guillhaume Restes was mentioned as an option for Milan when Mike Maignan seemed inclined not to renew his contract, which expired in June 2026. His name could come up again in the future if the Frenchman wants a change.

The most interesting profile is certainly that of Alexis Vossah, a midfielder born in France in 2008 to a Togolese family. He has come under the watchful eye of scouts from several top clubs around Europe, including those of the Diavolo.

Then, there are two Argentine forwards. The first is Santiago Hidalgo, a striker born in 2005 with an Italian passport who arrived this summer from Independiente. The second is Julián Vignolo (born in 2006). Milan will monitor both throughout this season.

Who Toulouse could sign

Odogu headed on a season-long dry loan and is waiting to make his Ligue 1 debut with Toulouse, while Milan are monitoring the way that he is handled because it could affect the consideration regarding possible future deals.

Aurelien Guernier, El Hadji Malick Cissé and Maiga-Hamadoun Cissé are potential names that could be sent to Toulouse on loan, if it becomes clear that they are ready for a future above Milan Futuro level but aren’t quite ready for the Rossoneri.

Two younger players in Fabio Pandolfi and Lorenzo Calvani are believed to have a big future that could see them pass through Toulouse. Odogu, it seems, is just the first domino to fall .