Ruben Amorim Eyes Two Former Players for Milan Overhaul. One of Them Isn’t Cheap.

Milan’s long-term plan isn’t much of a plan at all — it’s more of a blank check with Ruben Amorim’s name on it. The Rossoneri have been circling the Portuguese manager for months, and now it looks like he’s finally got a seat at the table. Not just on the touchline, but in the transfer room too.

According to Gianluca Di Marzio, Amorim has already identified two Sporting Lisbon players he wants to bring with him to San Siro. One is winger Trincao, the other is midfielder Morten Hjulmand. Neither will be cheap, and both have history with Amorim from their time in Portugal.

Hjulmand is the interesting one here. He was linked with Amorim at Manchester United too, back when Amorim’s name was floating around Old Trafford. That move never happened. But Milan are reportedly serious about making it happen now. The midfielder has the kind of aggression and reading of the game that fits a 3-4-2-1 system, which is what Amorim wants to run.

Trincao is a different story. He’s talented, no doubt. But he’s also the kind of player who flashes brilliance in bursts and then disappears for weeks. Amorim knows him from the Sporting academy and the first team, so he’s betting on familiarity over a fresh scouting report. That’s a gamble, but managers do that all the time. They trust what they’ve seen up close.

What About Pote?

You’ve probably heard Pedro Goncalves’ name thrown around too. It makes sense on paper — he’s a star at Sporting, versatile, scores goals. But Di Marzio says he’s not on Milan’s shortlist at all. That’s a bit of a surprise, honestly, given how much noise there’s been around him. Either Amorim doesn’t see a fit, or Milan’s budget is tighter than they’re letting on.

The bigger question here is whether Milan are handing too much power to a manager who hasn’t even taken a single training session yet. Amorim wants to assess the current squad before making major moves, which is fair. But the report suggests he’ll have a big say on transfers, period. For a club Milan’s size, that’s a bit old-school. Managers get attached to players they’ve worked with. They get tunnel vision. And when you’re paying top dollar for familiar faces, you better be right.

Neither Trincao nor Hjulmand come cheap. Sporting are going to ask for real money, and Milan’s recent track record with big-money signings isn’t exactly spotless. But Amorim has earned some trust after what he did at Sporting — two league titles, a couple of cups, and a reputation for developing players who actually fit his system.

If he can do that at Milan, nobody will care who he brought with him. But if it doesn’t work, this could look like another case of a manager using a big club to chase ghosts from his past.