Milan tempted by Gallardo – contract termination with Al Ittihad imminent

There is seemingly never a dull day when it comes to AC Milan’s pursuit of a new head coach and the latest name to be linked is Marcelo Gallardo.

According to a report from Sky, Milan are thinking about Gallardo who made history with River Plate but is now in the Saudi Pro League with Al Ittihad. Gallardo is about to leave his current club though, as was announced last night.

Gallardo has a contract that is close to €22m net per season with the Saudi club but he is about to be released from that deal and at that point he will be free to find an agreement with a new team.

Milan are aware of this and are tempted by the opportunity, while Sergio Conceicao – who has a contract with Porto until 2028 – and Paulo Fonseca also remain on the list of options for them.

Gallardo is 48 years old and as a players – after his years with River Plate – he had European experiences in France with Monaco and PSG. After a period in the USA he returned to River and then ended his career in Nacional.

There he began his coaching career in 2011, immediately winning the national title. From 2014 to 2022 at the helm of River Plate in nine seasons he collected 14 titles, including two Copa Libertadores, becoming the most successful manager in the club’s history.

He left River in October 2022 to make the jump over to Europe but never found the right role, and after a year of inactivity in November 2023 he signed a mega contract with Al-Ittihad