Fulham declined the €24m option on Samuel Chukwueze’s loan. The Super Eagles winger is back at AC Milan and has made a strong start under Ruben Amorim.
Samuel Chukwueze is an AC Milan player again. Fulham decided in May not to trigger the €24 million option that would have made his 2025/26 loan permanent. Since then the Super Eagles winger has become a regular under new Milan head coach Ruben Amorim. Here’s how the deal fell through and where it leaves him.
No. Fulham turned down the €24 million purchase option in his loan deal, and Chukwueze went back to AC Milan at the end of the 2025/26 season, as reported in late May 2026.
He joined Fulham on 1 September 2025 on a one-year loan with an option to buy, which Fulham and AC Milan both confirmed at the time. In March 2026, Italian reports said Fulham were about to buy him for a €24 million fee plus €4 million in bonuses. By the end of May, Fulham had decided to go after other targets instead.
He scored three goals across the 2025/26 season, with 23 Premier League appearances among his 25 games in all competitions. That return wasn’t enough to convince Fulham to pay €24 million, and reports in May said the club were putting other transfer targets first.
Fulham still have a strong Nigerian presence without him. Alex Iwobi and Calvin Bassey were both involved in the recent Fulham 1-1 Manchester United draw.
Better than expected. Italian outlet Milanisti Channel counted two assists in his first three matches this season (12 September). Amorim has sometimes used him in a wider, more defensive role on the right as well as on the wing.
One of those assists set up a goal for Cissé after he came off the bench against Juventus. Italian reports now say Milan are considering a contract extension, and Tuttosport has mentioned a new deal until 2031. Nothing has been signed.
Regular minutes at a top Serie A club are good news for Nigeria. Chukwueze is in Eric Chelle’s squad for the AFCON 2027 qualifiers against Madagascar and Guinea-Bissau in this international window.
See the full Super Eagles squad and our Nigeria vs Madagascar prediction, and check the Super Eagles fixtures for what comes next.
AC Milan. He returned there after Fulham declined the option to buy him at the end of his 2025/26 loan.
Fulham chose not to pay the €24 million option and focused on other targets. He scored three goals in 25 games during his loan.
€24 million, plus up to €4 million in bonuses according to Italian reports in March 2026.
Yes. He is in the squad for the AFCON 2027 qualifiers against Madagascar and Guinea-Bissau in September 2026.
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