AC Milan set to offload unwanted midfielder as Saudi Pro League side offer to triple his wages in €8m transfer

According to Gazzetta dello Sport, Al-Shabab will offer Adli a €7 million (£6m/$8m) salary and sign him permanently for €8m (£7m/$9m), a deal that satisfies Milan and beats competition from Serie A side Sassuolo.

Adli signed for Milan from Bordeaux in 2021 and was loaned back to the French side until 2022. After failing to establish himself at the San Siro side during the 2022-23 and 2023-24 seasons, he spent last term at Fiorentina, where he scored five goals and provided seven assists in all competitions. Upon returning, Milan coach Massimiliano Allegri deemed him surplus to requirements and left him out of the squad for the current campaign.

Adli wasn’t Milan’s only midfield departure this month, as Algerian midfielder Ismael Bennacer made a surprise move to Croatian side Dinamo Zagreb last week. Despite being linked with a return to Marseille all summer, Bennacer was also deemed surplus to requirements by Allegri and opted for Croatia over Turkish and Saudi clubs.

With Adli left out of Milan’s squad, he will be eager to finalize a move to Al-Shabab quickly, as the Saudi season has already begun. For Milan, the deal means additional funds that could be reinvested in the winter transfer window.