Christian Pulisic has seen plenty of change at AC Milan under new coach Massimiliano Allegri, with the club among Serie A’s most active in the 2025 summer transfer market. After backing away from a deal for Liverpool’s Joe Gomez, the Rossoneri sealed a deadline day signing by bringing in one of Germany’s top young prospects.
The sale of Malick Thiaw to Newcastle United and the opening rounds of the Serie A season exposed Milan’s thin depth in defense, forcing the club to scour the market for reinforcements. One target was Gomez, who appeared available as Liverpool pushed to sign Marc Guéhi, potentially dropping the England international down the depth chart at Anfield.
According to Gianluca Di Marzio, Milan and Liverpool had reached an agreement for Gomez, who was ready to leave Merseyside. But with Guéhi’s deal still unresolved, Liverpool ultimately withheld final approval, leaving too little time for medicals and paperwork. Milan, with the clock ticking, turned to an alternative option.
That backup plan was Wolfsburg defender David Odogu. The Rossoneri secured the 19-year-old center back on deadline day for €7 million plus another €3 million in add-ons. The teenager signed a contract through June 30, 2029, with an option for an additional year.
David Odogu presented as new AC Milan player.
This isn’t the first time Milan have dipped into the German market for defensive talent. Back in 2022, they landed Thiaw from Schalke 04 at age 21, and he quickly established himself as a starter. The Rossoneri hope Odogu will follow a similar path and grow into a cornerstone of their backline.
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Odogu’s rise as a German prospect
Odogu has been considered one of Germany’s brightest defensive prospects, both at club and international level. After stints in the youth academies of Union Berlin and Wolfsburg, he earned call-ups for Germany’s youth national teams and played a key role in winning both the 2023 U-17 EURO and the 2023 U-17 World Cup.
In April 2025, he made his senior debut for Wolfsburg and went on to make three total appearances, working his way into the first-team rotation at the start of the 2025-26 season. Now, born in 2006 and just beginning his professional journey, Odogu arrives in Milan with expectations of becoming a long-term building block in Allegri’s defense.
