Chaos In Milan: AC Milan Offloads Stars While Inter Faces €300m Scandal

AC and Inter Milan are two of Italy’s biggest footballing giants. Both operating at the San Siro, the red and blue halves of Milan typically battle it out at the top of the Serie A table.

The Milan turf has been graced by the presence of legend in the past, the likes of Ronaldo, Maldini and Ronaldinho amongst them, to name but a few. However, this season, things has not exactly gone to plan. Inter have been their usual selves, sitting 2nd in the table and missing out by one point, narrowly on the final day, by one point for the Serie A title.

But on the other side of things, AC Milan had a disappointing 2024/25 season, falling down to 8th spot in Serie A, and missing out on European qualification for next year.

Nevertheless, the teams on the field issues are the least of their worries in Milan, as AC are being forced to heavily offload stars this summer.

On the other hand, Inter, following their defeat in the UEFA Champions League final and losing their manager, face a financial scandal worth up to €300m.

So, what is the source of the chaos currently occurring in Milan?

Inter Milan’s Owner Issues

You would be forgiven for thinking that Inter are in a fantastic spot, having competed in the Champions League final last weekend. However, off-field drama has thrown that particular view into disrepute.

A year ago, the club was taken over by Oaktree Capital, an American firm valued at a reported €1bn, following the failure of Chinese retailer Suning, who had failed to repay a €400m loan that was secured against the controlling stake in the club. Before their takeover, the club had also been struggling for several years with persistent losses, and Suning having problems finding a new buyer.

🚨 Inter owners will invest this summer. And they will do it with purpose.

💡After last summer’s transfer window largely being focused on keeping the Inter squad together, this will be the first summer that Oaktree really leave their stamp.

📰 @Gazzetta_it pic.twitter.com/t5WyQtu1GX

— ENJOY INTER TRANSFERS (@EnjoyInter) June 3, 2025

Oaktree’s Inter now had major issues, needing to generate the funds to purchase new players, while also needing to re-pay the €300m loan. The club’s turnover rose in the 2023/24 season, gaining €473m alongside a strong season at the top.

Despite that financial improvement, Inter still projected a deficit, losing €36m with their owners having to inject €47m into the club’s finances. It was the 10th straight season without making a profit, but the club’s losses had decreased by €51m from the previous campaign.

The Italian club are allegedly behind schedule when it comes to paying back their loans, the team’s executive team have taken it upon themselves to maximise revenue. Inter have renegotiated contracts with existing sponsors, attempting to gain a higher deal and finding new global commercial partners to grow financially.

Having a phenomenal season on the pitch helps, but last season Inter’s commercial income was just €112m – a third of their Champions League finalist rivals in PSG. Nevertheless, Inter also gain a large sum of their revenue through TV rights, gaining from Serie A and their success in European football – reaching a final.

However, the biggest current financial task for Inter is the San Siro project, with both Inter and AC needing an incredible amount of money to upgrade and build a brand-new stadium.

🚨 𝗕𝗥𝗘𝗔𝗞𝗜𝗡𝗚: Inter Milan are part of the biggest financial scandal in Italian football since Calciopoli.

A confidential report reveals nearly €300m in revenues from fictitious Asian sponsors (2016–2019), allegedly used to bypass Financial Fair Play.

While other clubs… pic.twitter.com/sxeRHT2Q9s

— The Touchline | Football Coverage (@TouchlineX) June 3, 2025

But in May 2025, it now looks bleak for Inter with the club being exposed for an alleged €300m scandal - the biggest in Italian football since Calciopoli.

A recent report showed that the club used nearly €300m in fake sponsorship money from Asian Companies in the period of 2016-19. Inter reportedly used these fake sponsorship deals to dodge Financial Fair Play rules.

To add to the chaos, the Italian federation also reportedly helped Inter to avoid sanctions, with rumoured links to their ultras.

As it stands, any possible punishment for the Italian club has not been decided, but it still seems a long way back for Inter – especially with the current average age of their squad being 30 years old.

Time To Loan For AC

It was a season to forget for AC, distant from the title race and outside of the European spots. With financial difficulties, and now unhappy players who want to play in the Champions League, the red half of Milan are going to be forced to sell this summer.

🚨 Tijjani Reijnders will undergo his Man City medical on Sunday.

🗞️ @FabrizioRomano pic.twitter.com/I91WJKA04f

— Football Tweet ⚽ (@Football__Tweet) June 5, 2025

Following the departure of Sandro Tonali last summer, Milan seem to be set to lose another midfield maestro this window with Tijjani Reijnders seemingly set for Manchester City.

The 26-year-old has been fabulous in his second campaign at the club, scoring 10 goals and assisting four in 37 Serie A appearances – netting a further three in the Champions League.

As a player, Reijnders is a creative orchestrator – someone who can take the ball up from deep and pick a pass to unlock the opposition's defence. With Kevin De Bruyne leaving the Etihad - for €70m, alongside Rayan Cherki, the Dutchman seems to be the immediate replacement for the Citizens.

🚨🇫🇷 Al Hilal offered Theo Hernandez a contract of €18m per year (which is close to €350,000 per week), but he rejected, reports @Gazzetta_it. ❌ pic.twitter.com/2UKb6xbBwi

— EuroFoot (@eurofootcom) June 5, 2025

Having been offered €350,000 per week by Saudi Arabia, Theo Hernandez is another player who looks set to move away from the San Siro. However, despite the mouth-watering offer, Hernandez is rumoured to want a move to Europe in order to remain within football’s top competitions.

An attacking full-back, Hernandez has matured into one of the best in his position since joining the club in 2019, with five goals and seven assists in 50 games last season, and 34 goals in 264 games overall in Milan.

Down the left side with Rafael Leao, the Frenchman has become one of AC’s most crucial players. However, with Newcastle also linked with Hernandez it seems that he may be off this summer.

Chelsea remain in talks with AC Milan over a move for Mike Maignan. 🗣️

The French goalkeeper has told the Rossoneri he wants to make the move to west London, but the clubs are yet to agree on a fee. 💰

The Blues are hoping to resolve the matter before the Club World Cup,… pic.twitter.com/lz9jCrOyje

— talkSPORT (@talkSPORT) June 6, 2025

Finally, Mike Maignan is the final star at AC Milan who could be on his way out. The 29-year-old goalkeeper has been ever-present since joining from Lille.

With 12 clean sheets in 37 Serie A matches, Maignan remained a safe pair of hands in a difficult year for Milan. But now with the financial constraints on the club due to missing out on European football and building a new stadium, they may be forced to sell.

Chelsea are the main club linked, with AC reportedly open to fees of around €20-25m for the shot-stopper.

In their current state, it is hard to see the red half of Milan rebuilding and turning a corner back to their glory days without European football. With the club also having to sell top assets, it also puts AC in further trouble, losing income and revenue with the loss of big names.