Maignan’s Contract, Caprile’s Audition: Milan’s Goalkeeper Future Starts Now

Renewal, Ultimatum or Exit? Milan Are Keeping Their Options Open

The first match of the 2026 Serie A season will be Cagliari vs. Milan, in which Elia Caprile will be under close scrutiny. With Maignan’s contract set to expire, it is clear that the Rossoneri management are looking for a potential replacement.

A preliminary agreement is a possibility in which the French goalkeeper is asked to help Milan return to the Champions League — i.e. finish in the top four — in order to meet his demands. Alternatively, he could be asked to help Milan win the Scudetto and give the Frenchman everything he wants. In short, there are many possibilities, but there is also the possibility of a departure. Now that Milan has found stability in management with Igli Tare and Massimiliano Allegri, a plan B is needed.

From Milan to Milan. Why Cagliari v Milan Is a Live Test for Elia Caprile

Elia Caprile has been on the Rossoneri’s radar for some time. And that’s not all. In the next league match, the 24-year-old goalkeeper will have the chance to showcase his talents to his potential new team. A few weeks ago, Serie A published an interview with Elia Caprile on their social media channels. When asked how he realised that he would be a goalkeeper, he replied that one of his youth coaches had told him: “Decide what you want to do when you grow up.“

The 24-year-old Caprile first played for current club Cagliari in a Serie A game in their match against Milan on January 11, 2025, but his first appearance in the competition was on August 19, 2023 as a starter for Empoli in their fixture against Hellas Verona at the age of 21 years and 359 days. Overall, in his Serie A career, the Italian goalkeeper has appeared 62 times and kept 15 clean sheets in the competition.

Source: Opta

Caprile Talent Is Clear. Now Comes the Big-Club Question

The former Napoli and Chievo goalkeeper has embarked on a successful career, delivering one impressive performance after another. Gennaro Gattuso called him up to the National team for the first time. Surely, he will be called up again ahead of the World Cup.

Now, aged 24, he is faced with the same question he was asked when he was little more than a teenager. This time the stakes are higher, because he must decide not just what he wants to be, but whether he wants to become a great goalkeeper. This necessarily involves joining a big club.