AC Milan’s Francesco Camarda might just be the most famous 16-year-old footballer in the whole of Italy, but what circulates surrounding his future is worrying.
Camarda is shining for Ignazio Abate’s Primavera side and the U17 national team of Italy, despite having just turned 16. He netted the winner against Juventus in the league over the weekend just a few days after he scored a brace against Belgium and an important penalty in the 91st minute against Finland.
A rapid rise
Camarda went viral last year when a report revealed that he had scored over 500 goals for various different age groups within the Milan youth sector.
He drew more attention after his record-breaking debut in Serie A – after becoming the youngest ever player to play in the league, while he has scored a number of impressive goals already this season.
Camarda now has seven goals in 12 appearances for the U17s, with nine of them being starts, in addition to 12 goals and four assists in 31 games for Milan Primavera.
And so, the Milan fans are back to asking themselves the classic question of recent weeks: will he extend his deal, given that he can now do so having turned 16?
First pro deal
For an answer, we need to wait. Milan reached an agreement in principle for Camarda in recent weeks but that agreement is being put to the test of time, as per a recent report.
The teenager is truly ‘on fire’, but with every goal he scores the speculation linked to the signing of his first professional contract with Milan starts again. A deal which, although he turned 16 on March 10th, has not yet arrived.
Barring any unforeseeable surprises, it was believed that Camarda should sign with Milan for three years on July 1, with a contract that will thus expire on June 30, 2027. Much to his satisfaction too, given that he supports the Rossoneri.
Worrying update
However, Peppe Di Stefano’s recent update for Sky from Milanello has reopened a lot of worries regarding the future of the young forward.
“He hasn’t signed his first contract yet and this isn’t good news for me. I have no positive feelings about this,” he said.
It’s about understanding who the first team and Under 23 coaches will be, it’s about the salary… I think we need to reset, because he’s too young a kid . We will need to understand the intentions on both sides.
“At the moment the feelings are not positive, because if there had been an agreement the boy would obviously have already renewed. It would be a shame for everyone.
“We don’t know if he will become a player or not, but we are convinced that he will have a chance because he continues to score goals. We hope not to lose him for our football.”
If Camarda ends up not signing the contract, the ramifications could ripple through the football market. Interest from top teams in Italy and abroad is already peaking, which sets the stage for a potential high-stakes scenario.
Similar to a game of blackjack, where players request new cards to potentially improve their hands, these clubs might take significant risks. They may bet on Camarda’s future potential despite the possibility that his development could be disrupted by such early pressures. Yet, given the intense buzz around this young talent, pursuing him could indeed be seen as a gamble worth taking.
Head turned?
Given his exploits for club and country, there is no surprise that teams have taken notice. Both Manchester City and Manchester United are very interested, but their hands are tied by the regulations.
What are those regulations? Due to the new rules post-Brexit, Camarda could only play in the Premier League after he turns 18 and that means that even if they did strike an agreement with him it would be two years before they saw him.
Other teams have been linked but the Rossoneri will hope to get that renewal agreed. It would be a long-awaited and fundamental step to ward off the sirens of other clubs such as Borussia Dortmund and more recently Bayern Munich.
