Report: AC Milan eyeing move to appoint Pep Guardiola | OneFootball

AC Milan Eye Ambitious Future with Paratici Talks and Managerial Vision

At AC Milan, the present may belong to the pitch, but the future is being drafted in boardrooms. As the Rossoneri prepare for a crucial phase of their season, discussions at executive level are gathering pace — and in focus is the potential appointment of Fabio Paratici as sporting director, a decision that could trigger a major managerial reshuffle at the club.

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Strategic summit in London sets direction

In a telling moment of alignment, Milan CEO Giorgio Furlani, RedBird Capital’s Gerry Cardinale, and Paratici convened in London to outline the framework for next season. As Corriere dello Sport reports, this wasn’t just an introductory chat — it was “an opportunity to gain a global vision of the club’s projects and intentions,” offering Paratici a platform to understand how he might integrate into an existing structure that includes technical director Geoffrey Moncada.

While no contract has yet been signed, Milan’s intent is clear. There is mutual interest, with Paratici open to a return to Italian football despite his current 30-month suspension related to the plusvalenze investigation — a ban set to expire on 20 July. “It would be a very tempting opportunity,” sources close to the former Juventus executive suggest.

Paratici remains under consideration at Tottenham, where he currently serves as a consultant, but the Milan project may offer something deeper: a return to relevance and responsibility in his homeland.

De Zerbi top of the managerial list

Among the most fascinating elements of Paratici’s vision is his reported preference for Roberto De Zerbi to lead Milan’s next chapter. A Milan academy graduate, De Zerbi’s stock has risen rapidly thanks to his bold, expansive style and proven adaptability at European level. “He represents a progressive brand of football, rooted in identity but open to evolution,” Paratici is understood to have said in early discussions.

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Yet another name mentioned — more speculative but no less intriguing — is Pep Guardiola. With uncertainty around his Manchester City future, Corriere dello Sport describe it as “a suggestion on the edges of fantasy football.” Still, Milan are not closing the door to the improbable.

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Urgency driven by legal context

The backdrop to these discussions is the Prisma investigation into Juventus’ financial affairs. With the first criminal hearing set for 15 April, Milan are moving decisively, unwilling to wait for judicial clarity before shaping their future. Delay, in this context, could mean missing out on strategic opportunities.

Regardless of whether Paratici signs or not, the tone is unmistakable: Milan are preparing to think big again. A club steeped in legacy is reaching towards a new vision — bold, risky, and unmistakably ambitious.

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For Manchester City fans, it will be hard not to take this “Guardiola-to-Milan” talk with a truckload of salt. Yes, his contract runs out in 2025, and yes, he’s always spoken fondly of Serie A. But the idea that he’d walk from the Etihad — from a club built entirely around his philosophy — to take on a rebuild at Milan, mid-crisis, and under the cloud of legal uncertainty? It stretches logic.

That said, City fans have seen Pep do the unexpected before. If the suggestion carries any truth, it reinforces just how admired he is across Europe — even clubs with complicated trajectories still dream of him. What’s more pressing is how this reflects on Milan’s growing ambitions. From targeting De Zerbi to even uttering Guardiola’s name, they’re clearly keen to reassert themselves at the top table.