Como Beat Milan for Talent, Defy Inter for Two Defenders | OneFootball

Como have emerged victorious in the fray to acquire Mattia Liberali from Catanzaro despite a late push from Milan to bring him back. The contenders just needed to convince the player because of a €6M release clause.

According to Fabrizio Romano and Matteo Moretto (via SOSFanta), the starlet ultimately decided to join the Lariani despite a video call with Rossoneri owner Gerry Cardinale and Zlatan Ibrahimovic and a richer proposal. The way he was discarded played a role.

Milan will have to settle with cashing in €3M from Liberali going to Como. They let him join Catanzaro for free last summer, but with a future resale clause. He notched 4 goals and 4 assists in Serie B in 2025/2026. He played just once with the Rossoneri’s first team, even though he shone at the youth level.

The Biancoblù will focus on their defense next. They are challenging Inter for Oumar Solet and Trevoh Chalobah and are keen on Gonçalo Inacio. The Nerazzurri have soured on the Udinese star because of reservations about a lingering knee problem. Instead, the Scudetto holders are in the lead for the Chelsea center-back. The Lariani might struggle to match the €35/40M request.

Our Take on Como, Liberali, and Solet

The former’s meager price tag made him a juicy option for several teams, considering his upside. Nico Paz staying offers him the opportunity to grow at his own pace, and they are tactically compatible. Unless the center-back has a really debilitating problem, which seems odd, as he has rarely missed time since moving to Serie A, teams shouldn’t fret too much about signing, as his price tag is relatively modest. Plus, both current chasers have the horses to rotate to load-manage him.