Milan squad management, Musah’s role, and non-EU registration rules

Yunus Musah’s professional progression

Yunus Musah is a central midfielder for Atalanta on a one-year loan from AC Milan. The 23-year-old midfielder scored his first goal for the United States in a friendly against Panama in October 2024. He has since made over 47 appearances for the United States senior team. He developed his skills at Arsenal’s Hale End academy before moving to Valencia in 2019 at age 16. He made 94 appearances for Valencia and scored two goals before his transfer to Milan. He chose to represent the United States in 2021 after playing for England at the youth level. Musah provides energy and ball progression for the USMNT as they prepare for the 2026 World Cup. His ability to carry the ball through pressure helps the American squad. He won the 2025 Supercoppa Italiana with Milan. Musah is a central midfielder, a defensive midfielder, an attacking midfielder, or a wing-back.

Milan’s non-EU registration constraints

The Italian Football Federation dictates how Serie A clubs register non-EU players through Communication No. 240/A. Each club can register a maximum of two non-EU players arriving from abroad per season. Milan used one of these slots to sign Andrej Kostic, who holds Montenegrin and Serbian citizenship. To register the second non-EU player, one of the non-EU players already present in the team must move abroad, either because their deal expires or they are sold, or they must acquire European citizenship to meet the regulation. This regulation creates significant constraints for the Rossoneri transfer strategy. You should remember that selling a non-EU player does not free up a third slot. However, the club can sign one British player and one Albanian player without using these two specific non-EU quotas. The regulations specify that one of the two non-EU players must meet national team requirements, such as appearing in at least two official matches for their age-group national team in the 12 months preceding registration, or having played five official matches in their career.

Squad management and Pulisic

Milan must manage its squad list to satisfy Serie A regulations regarding youth-trained players. The league requires teams to present a list of 25 players. At least eight must come from Italian youth sectors, and four must be trained at the specific club. Milan currently lacks the four required club-trained players. Their current list of academy products includes Matteo Gabbia, Tommaso Pobega, and Davide Calabria. Italian-trained players in the squad include Alessandro Florenzi, Marco Sportiello, and Filippo Terracciano. Musah previously provided an assist to Christian Pulisic during a 1-0 win over Genoa. If the club signs players like Strahinja Pavlovic or Emerson Royal, they will occupy the remaining non-EU slots. This might force the exclusion of players such as Yacine Adli, Alexis Saelemaekers, Divock Origi, or Fode Ballo-Toure from the 25-man list. Players born after January 1, 2002, like Musah, can be included in the Under 22 list. Under UEFA rules, players born on or after January 1, 2003, can be included in list B if they have been with the club for two consecutive years from age 15. Does the club have enough flexibility to integrate these new signings into the first team?