Milan eyeing move for Brighton midfielder Ayari to replace Modric
Quick summary
AC Milan are reportedly interested in signing Brighton midfielder Yasin Ayari as a potential long-term replacement for veteran Luka Modric.
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Attributed to original sourceReports in Italy claim that Milan are eyeing a future move for Brighton & Hove Albion midfielder Yasin Ayari to strengthen Ruben Amorim’s midfield, which could lose the veteran Luka Modric and several other options at the end of the 2026-27 season.
Report: Milan want Brighton’s Ayari, valued at €40m Milan have a healthy level of competition in their current midfield department, which includes Modric, Adrien Rabiot, the resurgent Yunus Musah, Ruben Loftus-Cheek and Ardon Jashari, not forgetting youngster Christian Comotto.
This could change next summer, though, as 41-year-old Modric is into the final year of his contract and could call it a day on his playing career in the summer. Even if he continues playing, another contract extension at San Siro seems unlikely.
ROME, ITALY – SEPTEMBER 12: Luka Modric of AC Milan in action during the warm up before the Serie A match between SS Lazio and AC Milan at Stadio Olimpico on September 12, 2026 in Rome, Italy. (Photo by Paolo Bruno/Getty Images) Reports from Calciomercato.com hint that Loftus-Cheek’s days with Milan could be coming to an end. Jashari, who has struggled to nail down a spot since joining the Rossoneri last summer, is not guaranteed to stay with Milan into the 2027-28 season at this stage.
This leaves Milan already looking at potential midfield reinforcements just a few games into the 2026-27 season, and reports from Tuttosport claim that Brighton’s Ayari is at the top of the Rossoneri wishlist.
Milan have reportedly been following Ayari since the early stages of 2025 when Geoffrey Moncada was still in his position as technical director.
BRIGHTON, ENGLAND – AUGUST 15: Yasin Ayari of Brighton and Hove Albion warms up before the pre-season friendly match between Brighton & Hove Albion and Bologna at Amex Stadium on August 15, 2026 in Brighton, England. (Photo by Steve Bardens/Getty Images) Ayari has become a crucial part of Fabian Hurzeler’s Brighton midfield in the early stages of 2026-27 and has already netted his first goal of the Premier League season in a 5-0 hammering of his former club Coventry City.
Ayari put in a particularly encouraging performance and scored twice in a pre-season friendly between Brighton and Roma in July, attended by Football Italia.
BRIGHTON, ENGLAND – AUGUST 08: Yasin Ayari of Brighton & Hove Albion scores the third goal during the pre-season friendly match between Brighton & Hove Albion and AS Roma at American Express Stadium on August 08, 2026 in Brighton, England. (Photo by Steve Bardens/Getty Images) Ayari himself is into the final year of his contract with Brighton, expiring on June 30, 2027, but the club has an option to automatically extend by a further 12 months.
This means that the Sweden international is still valued in the region of €40m according to the latest reports in Italy.
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What happened
AC Milan are monitoring Brighton's Swedish midfielder Yasin Ayari as they plan for the post-Luka Modric era. The 21-year-old, who joined Brighton in 2024, has impressed with his passing range and ball progression. Modric, now 40, is approaching the final stretch of his career, and Milan are looking to secure a creative midfielder who can anchor their play for years to come. No formal bid has been reported, with the links described as exploratory at this stage.
Chance analysis
Milan's interest in Ayari fits a familiar pattern of targeting young, technically gifted midfielders from the Premier League to refresh an aging core. Modric has been a brilliant short-term signing, but the club clearly needs a successor who can dictate tempo over multiple seasons. Ayari's profile — composed under pressure, excellent range of passing — makes him a logical candidate, though prising him from Brighton mid-season would require a significant offer. This is the kind of succession planning that signals ambition beyond a single campaign.
If completed, Ayari would bolster Milan's creative midfield depth for the medium term but has no immediate match-week effect.