Milan’s Alphadjo Cissè ready for Italy call-up, believes Ruben Amorim | OneFootball

Speaking to Sky Sport ahead of his side’s Saturday showdown against Lazio at the weekend, Ruben Amorim discussed, among other things, the progress of young Alphadjo Cissè under him.

Despite just seeing him play a handful of matches, the Portuguese coach made a bold claim regarding his suitability for Italy’s senior national team setup.

Milan went on to play a 2–2 stalemate against club legend Gennaro Gattuso-led Lazio side, with Diego Moreira’s quickfire second-half brace cancelling the Biancocelesti’s two-goal advantage from the first half.

Cissè, 19, joined Amorim’s squad just this summer. He was signed by Milan during the winter transfer window from Hellas Verona for €8 million, while he was on loan at Catanzaro. Milan sent him straight back to the Aquile del Sud for the remainder of the 2025/26 season.

The Treviso-born midfielder has immediately become a regular in Amorim’s setup as a wide No. 10 in his famed 3-4-2-1. He has featured in each of Milan’s opening four Serie A games, having scored two goals.

Gli Azzurri’s new era under the returning Roberto Mancini begins in a little over ten days’ time with the next edition of the Nations League. During the first international break of the season, Italy face Belgium, France, and Türkiye twice.

A new perspective

Having featured in every game under Amorim, Cissè has clearly impressed the coach in a way few players have managed to do in recent years, especially those of his age.

After all, at Man United, not only did Amorim find it hard for players to buy into his system, he particularly found it hard to find reliable operators in youth prospects.

The midfield roles in his 3-4-2-1, both the deep-lying and advances ones, require considerable discipline and athleticism across different phases of play. For Cissè to get a chance in every game and deliver on the faith put in him as shown by his goals, shows that in him Amorim has a promising youngster he can trust.

We will soon know whether Cissè makes the cut for Mancini’s first Italy squad. That said, it is to be kept in mind that Cissè is currently an Italy U21 international and has represented the country at the U16, U18, and U19 levels. It is but a matter of time before that first senior cap comes calling.

Anshuman Joshi | GIFN