Nkunku on Milan's Expendable List as Roma Eyes Swap with Soule

Ruben Amorim has wasted no time putting his stamp on Milan – and the first major casualty could be Christopher Nkunku.

With less than two weeks left in the summer window, the Milan head coach has handed the board an updated list of expendable players. Nkunku, once a pre-season favourite, is now on it. The 28-year-old is training on the fringes at Milanello, a rapid fall from grace after an early burst of enthusiasm from Amorim during the first days of camp.

That sudden U-turn has not gone unnoticed.

Roma return for a long-time target

According to Calcio Mercato, Roma have immediately moved into position, sensing an opportunity they could not grasp in January. The capital club have been tracking Nkunku for some time, convinced his profile fits perfectly into their attacking structure.

Back in the winter window, Giallorossi boss Gian Piero Gasperini identified Nkunku as the ideal solution for his left-sided attack. The former Chelsea forward ticked every tactical box. But the deal never got close: resistance from both the player and the Rossoneri hierarchy shut the door.

The admiration in Rome, though, never faded.

After recent complications in their chase of Rodrigo Mora, Roma sporting director Tony D’Amico is now refocusing his efforts. Nkunku is back at the top of the list, and this time the conditions look very different.

A swap that suits both dugouts

Reports from Asromalive outline a scenario that would give the deal a very modern twist. Roma could include Argentine attacker Soule as a direct counterpart in a swap.

For Milan, the logic is obvious. Soule has been high on their recruitment shortlist as they look to add creativity and goals in the attacking midfield area. Amorim wants a sharper, more flexible No. 10 line; Soule fits that brief.

For Roma, Nkunku would give Gasperini the left-sided quality he has been pushing for since January. One player each, one problem solved on both benches. On paper, it is the kind of move that suits two clubs trying to recalibrate their attacks without losing time or options.

Crucially, the numbers line up. Both Milan and Roma currently rate their players in the same bracket, around €35m–€40m. That removes one of the most common stumbling blocks in high-profile swaps.

The real issue lies elsewhere.

The wage gap that could stall everything

Nkunku’s salary is the elephant in the room. Soule reportedly earns just over half of the Frenchman’s current wage, creating a significant financial gap that cannot be ignored.

For any swap to work, Roma would have to absorb or creatively rework Nkunku’s lucrative package, while Milan would need to structure Soule’s deal in a way that fits their own wage model. Bonuses, spread payments, and carefully layered contracts will all be on the table as both clubs search for a structure that keeps dressing rooms and balance sheets under control.

Time is not on their side.

With the transfer deadline closing in, talks will need to accelerate if this delicate operation is to cross the line. Milan want clarity on Nkunku’s future as Amorim finalises his attacking options. Roma, still hunting a decisive upgrade after the Mora setback, see a rare chance to land a long-coveted target.

The pieces fit. The valuations match. The coaches are aligned.

Now the question is simple: can two Serie A heavyweights bend the numbers enough to turn a bold idea into one of the window’s defining deals?