Dodi Lukebakio's Journey from AC Milan to Benfica
There was a moment, not so long ago, when Dodi Lukebakio’s goals were supposed to light up San Siro for AC Milan, not silence it.
Back in August 2025, as reported by La Gazzetta dello Sport, Milan’s hierarchy were juggling multiple dossiers. Talks were ongoing with Marseille over Adrien Rabiot, but another name kept circling in the background: Lukebakio. The then-management, led by Igli Tare, made their move, sounding out the possibility of bringing the Belgian winger to Milan.
It came in the aftermath of another missed shot in the market. With Conrad Harder’s arrival having collapsed and Samuel Chukwueze preparing to leave for Fulham, Milan needed a new wide threat. Lukebakio fit the profile on paper. He was coming off an 11-goal season with Sevilla in Spain, the kind of return that makes sporting directors sit up and re-check their scouting reports.
Quick. Versatile. Left-footed. A winger who loves to drive at defenders and decide games in the final third. On Wednesday night, Davide Bartesaghi discovered just how sharp those tools are. Up close. Under the floodlights. And for Milan, on the wrong side of the duel.
In the end, nothing materialised. The talks went nowhere, the enquiry remained just that, and Milan turned down a path that led elsewhere. Lukebakio did the opposite. He walked out of Spain and into a new chapter, signing for Benfica in early September for around €25m. A five-year contract, a €50m release clause, and a clear statement: this was a player expected to become a cornerstone in Lisbon.
His game is no mystery. A natural left-footer, he starts wide, tempts his marker, then slices inside onto that stronger foot. From there, it’s either a whipped cross or a curling shot towards the far post. Everyone has seen it on video. Milan saw it live. That trademark move produced the opening goal at San Siro on Wednesday, a finish that must have carried a hint of what-might-have-been for the home bench.
At 28, Lukebakio has already lived several footballing lives. Belgium, England, Germany, Spain, now Portugal: his passport tells the story of a winger constantly testing himself in new leagues, new systems, new pressures. For the Belgian national team he has 33 caps and six goals, a steady contributor in a squad full of attacking talent.
The numbers follow him wherever he goes. Double figures in a single season for Hertha Berlin. Double figures for Fortuna Düsseldorf. Double figures again at Sevilla. He finds a rhythm, then he finds the net.
Now the stage is Benfica, a club that demands goals from its wide forwards and sells stars on once they’ve hit their peak. Lukebakio has already shown Milan what they missed. The next question is for Portugal: how long before he makes double figures in Lisbon feel inevitable too?
