“Doumbia was my favorite and wanted to take it at all costs to Milan”

A transfer from Issa Doumbia to Sporting, consummated last summer, continues to speak in Italy. This time on account of the statements of the former sports director of AC Milan, who assumed that the young Italian average was one of the wishes for the season 2026/27. In an interview with Sky Sport on Friday night, Igli Tare also assured that players like Gila and Gonçalo Ramos had been signaled for several months. 

“Gila and Gonçalo Ramos, it’s true. I also had in mind hiring Doumbia, who eventually went to Sporting. He was my favorite player and wanted to take him to Milan at all costs. I was just hoping to have more clarity about future planning, but we had already talked about it after the January market, as a fundamental player project”, he started by saying Igli Tare 

“Five players had been blocked: Gila, Ramos and Doumbia. Then also Valdepenas, who went to Fiorentina. We were supposed to come to have a combination of young people with a promising future and prepared players. The fifth that had been blocked was Goretzka [who signed for Aston Villa],” the former leader of Milan explained. 

Despite the interest of Milan and not only, since Benfica and other Italian clubs were also in the fight for the then player of Venezia, it was even Sporting who got the best in the race for Doumbia. 

On June 1, Sporting’s SAD announced the hiring of the Italian average for EUR 20.5 million fixed, plus EUR 6.3 million per goal, with the 23-year-old player signing a contract valid until 2031 and being ‘armored’ by a termination clause worth EUR 80 million. 

Doumbia quickly entered the eleventh cast by Rui Borges and accumulated a balance of two goals and two assists in 15 games played with the lions' jersey. However, the exhibitions in Alvalade were worth a call to the main selection of Italy, which already accumulates five games under the orders of the selector Roberto Mancini. 

Tare doesn't forget Modric's humility

Igli Tare was responsible for the arrival of Modric at AC Milan in the summer of 2025 and was particularly admired by the “amazing will” of the veteran Croatian player in wearing the rossneri sweater. 

“ He convinced me. He had an incredible desire to play in Milan. Before I went to him, I wanted to make a video call because I didn't believe it. After five minutes of talking about Milan, I realized it was the player we were missing. Not only for his qualities as a footballer, but also as a man. It was a figure that that team did not have ", stressed, before establishing a direct comparison with two legends of world football. 

“It’s the same thing I said about Baggio and Guardiola. You see, when you're asked for something, it's a photograph for a child or an autograph, never says no. These things make you realize that humility is the key to opening any door. It's an honor for me and I'm proud to have taken a great player to Milan. He never missed a workout. We were the ones who had to stop him. Loving football at that age is something that really honors him”, he stressed.