Milan have seen plenty of academy players youngsters break into their first team in recent years. From Davide Calabria to the now-departed Patrick Cutrone, Milan’s academy has continued to create some of Italy’s most talented young players.
The Rossoneri’s Primavera squad have had a mediocre season and currently sit in ninth place in Primavera 1 and finished last in their UEFA Youth League group. Despite these poor results, several players have continued to impress week after week, but no one has matched the hype and attention that have followed Marco Nasti.
Born in Pavia, Italy, the class of 2003 forward is turning heads for Milan’s U23 squad and is giving Stefano Pioli enough justification to have a chance with the first team in the near future.
The 18-year-old Italian forward has amassed 11 goals and 3 assists in 12 appearances in Primavera 1. His 0.85 goals per 90 minutes scoring ratio has helped seen him cement his place as the top scorer in the league and continuously shine in what has otherwise been a very disappointing Milan squad.
Nasti has been a part of the Milan academy since his youth and joined their Primavera squad in 2020 after impressing with the U19s. He has yet to make his Serie A debut, but he was called up to the first team back in December in the match against Napoli.
Considering he is fourth in the striker pecking order, behind Zlatan Ibrahimović, Olivier Giroud, and Marko Lazetić, Nasti will not be shown much game time if he stays for the upcoming season. Thus, similar to Lorenzo Colombo and Tomasso Pobegba, it seems inevitable that Milan will send him out on loan and monitor his development.
Milan had rejected a €500k offer from Juventus and loan offers from multiple Serie B sides and are now hoping to extend his contract until 2025 given it will expire next season.
If Nasti decides to commit his future to his boyhood club, will he become another failed talent or find success on loan or with the first team? Only time will tell, but there is no denying the talent and seemingly bright future that awaits him.