They leave Milan in the summer and then leave: from Dugarry to Romero, from Colombo to Okafor

They're the ones who live July and August as if it were spring: the months when championships are decided. They show off, score goals, try to earn the coach's trust, but then they (almost) always end up packing their bags: some leave to learn the ropes elsewhere, while others are sacrificed for transfer market demands, perhaps just to free up a spot in the squad. This is the fate of Noah Okafor, AC Milan's top scorer this summer with four goals—two of them against Liverpool—but now close to leaving for Leeds. Let's revisit all the Rossoneri's other summer hopes.

In these cases, Milan aren't so much concerned with the void left by the Swiss as with the €21 million he'll earn from Leeds (pictured above, in a friendly against his future club in early August). This money will be reinvested, at least in part, in their new striker. Okafor is leaving the Rossoneri after two seasons of ups and downs: 54 appearances, 7 goals, and 5 assists, including a loan spell at Napoli last January (a flop despite the club's title). Under Pioli, he was the man who played late in matches, often scoring decisive goals as a substitute; under Fonseca, however, he never impressed, partly due to physical issues. Not even his excellent performances in the recent tour of the Far East—he finished as the team's top scorer with four goals—gained him a permanent contract, despite Rafa Leao's slight injury against Bari. His future now lies in the Premier League.

Luka Romero introduced himself to AC Milan fans on a night in America two years ago, with a left-footed strike into the top corner in a friendly against Real Madrid (a 2-3 loss). A Dybala-like display of magic that, after all this time, remains the only truly memorable moment of his time with the Rossoneri. That boy with long, straight hair, held in place by a 1990s-style headband, proved to be a summer gimmick, even though he never got a real opportunity: just five appearances in total. First, a loan to Almeria in January 2024, then to Alaves last summer, until his permanent transfer to Cruz Azul last winter.

Lorenzo Colombo is a globetrotter, but a patriot. For the past four years, he's been regularly touring Italy, from north to south, passing through central Italy. If Nasti had decided that match against City on the American tour, Lorenzo had ignited it with a brace in four minutes: first with a header, then with a flying left-footed shot. All in front of 40,000 fans at Yankee Stadium. Veteran stuff. Already in September 2020, in a 4-1 AC Milan-Monza friendly, he had scored with a powerful left-footed shot into the top corner. In short, Lorenzo thrives when he plays in the heat. Determination and desire to succeed, even in temperatures below 40 degrees, have never been lacking. Confirmation from AC Milan, however, remains on hold: after Cremonese, SPAL, Lecce, Monza, and Empoli, this year he will wear the Genoa jersey, still on loan.

A little over a year ago, on July 28, 2024, Marco Nasti beat Guardiola with a crisp right-footed strike into the corner that gave AC Milan a 3-2 victory over Manchester City. At that moment, Nasti was on every screen at Yankee Stadium in New York, and amid the blazing American summer heat, he dreamed of earning a place in the team that had nurtured him. That confidence, however, never came. The 2003-born striker also excelled in other friendlies in Italy, but at the start of the 2024-25 season, he was sold permanently to Cremonese. That goal at City remained just a flash.

Matteo Pelatti made just two appearances for AC Milan, both in the final part of the 1996-97 season. Fifty-eight minutes fueled hopes of becoming a key player in the Rossoneri's attack. A true investiture, however, never came: the Rossoneri only enjoyed him in a couple of summer friendlies in 1997. In an 8-1 Milan-Corbetta victory, Pelatti scored a hat-trick, while Boban and Weah each scored a brace, and a very young Roberto De Zerbi rounded out the scoring. Pelatti was just starting out, his career in the early stages, but between loan spells, he never managed to return to Milanello.

He's had a career. Indeed. He scored goals for Empoli and Siena (pictured, playing against AC Milan), was captain and idol of provincial fans, and even made the national team without ever making his Serie A debut. In short, everyone knows "Big Mac" Maccarone. Yet, he also has a special history with AC Milan, the club that nurtured him in the youth academy from 1993 to 1998. In 1997, he trained with the first team under Fabio Capello and didn't disappoint: he decided a friendly against Sassuolo with a penalty. He spent those 18 years with his long hair blowing in the wind and always aiming for the net, often under the scorching sun. The following year, he also made his mark at the Viareggio Tournament, before going on loan to Modena. However, he never made his official debut with the Rossoneri.

A 1998 World Cup winner with France, Christophe Dugarry was a meteoric rise at AC Milan. A centre-forward with a nose for goal, the Rossoneri spotted him in a UEFA Cup tie against Bordeaux, where he scored a brace. He arrived in Milan in 1996, full of expectations, but he never lived up to them. His record reads just six goals in 26 official matches, not counting those... in friendlies. Against Chelsea in February 1997, he scored a crucial brace in the victory; that same month, he also scored in a 4-0 win over Biellese. Sixty days earlier, against Savona, he had even scored a hat-trick in a 9-0 win. Six summer goals, but they counted for little.