GdS: ‘The future Beckenbauer’ – why Milan believe strongly in €10m Odogu investment

Some eyebrows were raised when AC Milan decided that David Odogu was the right deadline day centre-back signing, but there are reasons for the decision.

La Gazzetta dello Sport begin with an eye-opening fact: Milan’s new defender was born in Berlin a month before Fabio Cannavaro lifted Italy’s last World Cup. The 19-year-old is the new central defender that Massimiliano Allegri will have at his disposal for the remainder of the season.

The first two league games have already exposed obvious weaknesses in the Rossoneri’s defence, especially in marking and building out from the back. Odogu despite being young cost €10m, which shows that the directors have faith.

Why Odogu?

First, his age. Odogu is 19 years old and has only played three professional games for Wolfsburg, the club where he grew up. Standing over 1.90m tall, he’s a natural right-footer and has specialised in a three-man defence, the system the Rossoneri are currently using.

Last year, in the three times he was called upon in the Bundesliga (twice as a starter), he always played in the centre of the trio. Marking – something that is held in very high regard by Allegri – is one of his strengths.

In the Wolfsburg youth teams and the national team, he also played as a wing-back, both on the right and left, and as a centre-back in a four-man defence, so he certainly isn’t lacking in versatility. He was also captain of the U17 team.

In 2023, he won the European Championship with Germany (as a rotation player) in June and, in December, the U17 World Cup in Indonesia, beating France on penalties. Odogu was a key figure in that triumphant campaign.

Odogu is the son of immigrants. His father, Joseph, was a Nigerian footballer who played in Malaysia before moving permanently to Berlin. When he won the World Cup, some German tabloids called Odogu ‘the future Beckenbauer’, and now he will don the red and black.

The teenager has begun training with the first team but will also be considered by Massimo Oddo for the Futuro. The German will grow alongside a relative veteran like Matteo Gabbia and, without too much pressure, will gradually be integrated.