2 days ago
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Lecce’s sporting director has shed some more light on the loan signing of Francesco Camarda, including how they convinced AC Milan.
Camarda got more important senior minutes in the 2024-25 season as he made 10 appearances in Serie A and four in the Champions League for the Rossoneri. However the desire has always been there for him to play more, so the idea of a loan deal surfaced ahead of the summer.
Lecce emerged as the favourites early on and they confirmed the arrival of Camarda last week. They have an option to buy set at €3m but Milan have a buy-back at €4m, with some bonuses included to encourage the Salento side to play him.
‘Camarda isn’t just another young player’
Speaking at the press conference to present Camarda – in which the striker also spoke – Lecce director Stefano Trinchera answered questions from journalists about his arrival, which MilanNews relayed.
Firstly, an introduction…
“You know him well; he’s one of the young talents in Italian and international football. He’s considered a player with great potential, holding the record for the youngest player to make his Serie A debut. He has important qualities, and he shouldn’t be burdened with responsibility because he’s level-headed.
“He has everything it takes to do well with us. It’s a challenge we both embraced, even though he had several requests. He knows how we work at Lecce, he knows how much we invest in young players and how much we develop them.
“This is one of the reasons he chose us. The future is in his hands, and we believe we’ve made the right choice. One of the most talented young players on the international scene is coming to Lecce.”
Could the contract with bonuses for appearances and goals put Di Francesco in trouble?
“We don’t get into the numbers. We usually try to sign players permanently. Sometimes we make exceptions, Camarda being one of them. We try to maximise the development of a young player of this calibre.
“We value the player, Milan are looking for a club like ours that values young players. We don’t look at the bonuses; it’s just a way to try to optimise our work on the player.”
Did Di Francesco agree with Camarda’s signing?
“Absolutely. We needed to sign a player with these characteristics, and the coach trained with us because he knew him well. We all agreed that Camarda has the right characteristics for our team.”
Do you feel a responsibility towards AC Milan?
“When we make choices, we simply think that anyone who comes to Lecce must contribute to the cause. We believe Camarda isn’t just another young player. He’s ready to be a key figure in our team.
“He has a good head on his shoulders, supported by a family we’ve met and who will live in Lecce with him. He can already be a role model. We don’t look at age; quality has no age limit.”
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