Milan Nel Cuore
AC Milan have secured their first signing for next season. Andrej Kostic, the 2007-born striker from Partizan Belgrade, is officially a new Rossoneri player. The deal has been agreed for a fee of €3 million plus add-ons and a sell-on percentage, with a contract running until 2030. The young Montenegrin, already in Milan ahead of his medical tomorrow 29 March, will join the squad in June and will initially be assigned to Milan Futuro. Here is everything you need to know about the talent who has captivated the Rossoneri hierarchy.
Who is Andrej Kostic: from Budućnost to Partizan
Andrej Kostić was born on 16 January 2007 in Podgorica, the capital of Montenegro. Standing 188 centimetres tall and boasting a physique already mature for his age, he is a natural right-footed striker capable of operating as both a centre-forward and a second striker. His footballing journey began in the youth ranks of Budućnost Podgorica, the capital's most prestigious club, where he fast-tracked his way to the senior squad during the 2023/24 season at just sixteen years of age.
His talent did not go unnoticed for long. In the summer of 2025, Partizan Belgrade brought him to Serbia on a five-year contract, paying Budućnost a fee for his registration. The move to Belgrade represented a crucial step up: from the Montenegrin top flight to the Serbian SuperLiga, a significantly more competitive league with far greater international visibility.
Partizan Belgrade are one of the historic clubs of Balkan football, with a long tradition of developing young talent who go on to shine in Europe. From Dejan Stanković to Stevan Jovetić and Aleksandar Mitrović, the Belgrade club have always excelled at spotting and nurturing the region's finest prospects. Kostic fits neatly into that tradition with numbers that speak for themselves.
A breakthrough season: 11 goals in 34 appearances
Kostic's numbers in the 2025/26 season with Partizan are impressive by any measure, let alone for a player of his age. Across 34 appearances in the Serbian SuperLiga and European competition, the Montenegrin has scored 11 goals and provided 1 assist. A remarkable scoring rate for a nineteen-year-old in his first season at a higher level of professional football.
His goals have been far from accidental. Kostic has shown a variety of finishing rare for a player of his age: powerful right-footed strikes from the edge of the box, headed goals exploiting his 188-centimetre frame and well-timed runs in behind that point to a tactical intelligence well beyond his years. On several occasions he has scored decisive goals, displaying a composure under pressure that is uncommon in a player who was competing in the Montenegrin league just a year ago.
Technical profile: a modern and complete striker
What stands out about Kostic is not just his eye for goal but the completeness of his profile. Unlike many young strikers who rely almost exclusively on pace or raw physical power, the Montenegrin combines several qualities into an already very mature package. His right foot is his primary weapon, but he is not averse to finishing with his left and is a particularly dangerous threat in the air thanks to his height and timing in aerial duels.
His ability to play as both a centre-forward and a second striker, and when needed as a wide forward, makes him an extremely versatile profile for modern football. He can hold the ball with his back to goal, attack the space in behind and link play in tight areas. In Serbia he has also shown a decent appetite for pressing and defensive work, a trait that could prove decisive in Allegri's system.
The scouts' verdict
Those who have watched him closely this season describe Kostic as a striker with a veteran's mentality. His composure in front of goal, his ability to handle pressure and his clarity of thought in decisive moments are qualities rarely found in a 19-year-old. The most common comparison in scouting circles is with Dusan Vlahovic — not by coincidence, they share the same agent.
The “new Vlahovic”: a fascinating comparison to handle with care
The comparison with Vlahovic is inevitable and not only because of the shared agent. Like the Juventus striker, Kostic is a product of Balkan football, burst onto the scene at a very young age and possesses a blend of physical power and technical quality that projects him towards top-level European football. Both share the ability to score big goals and a determination that shines through in every match.
That said, it is essential not to burden a nineteen-year-old with excessive expectations. Kostic has a development pathway ahead that will require time, patience and the right environment. Milan know this and have therefore planned a gradual integration through Milan Futuro, without rushing the process. Football history teaches us that the brightest talents are those managed with intelligence, not those thrown in at the deep end too soon.
The negotiation: a months-long saga and Tare's decisive move
Signing Kostic was far from straightforward. Negotiations between Milan and Partizan dragged on for months, with several moments of deadlock that threatened to derail the deal altogether. The first contacts date back to the end of 2025, when Rossoneri scouts flagged the Montenegrin's name to the board after weeks of monitoring.
In January 2026 Milan tabled their first concrete offer: a fixed fee of between €2 and €3 million, with add-ons that could have taken the total as high as €7–8 million. Partizan sent the proposal straight back, deeming it insufficient for a player they considered the jewel of their squad.
The following weeks saw a tug of war between the two clubs, with Partizan attempting to spark an auction by involving other interested European clubs. In this context, the attitude of Kostic himself proved crucial: he consistently made it clear to his club and his agent that he wanted to join Milan and no one else. A firm stance that significantly weakened Partizan's bargaining position.
Tare's decisive role
Sporting director Igli Tare struck the decisive blow yesterday, 27 March. Armed with the player's determination and Partizan's weakened negotiating stance, Tare closed the deal at €3 million plus performance-related add-ons and a sell-on percentage in favour of the Serbian club. A move that confirms the Albanian director's ability to act with timing and decisiveness in the young-talent market.
Deal breakdown: fee, contract and structure
The agreement between Milan and Partizan provides for the permanent transfer of Kostic from 1 July 2026. The transfer fee is set at €3 million as a fixed component, with add-ons tied to individual and team objectives that could increase the total. Partizan have also secured a sell-on percentage, a clause that underlines just how highly the Serbian club rate the youngster's potential.
The contract signed by Kostic with Milan runs until 30 June 2030, four full years that give the Rossoneri all the time they need to develop the player and, should the opportunity arise, capitalise on his value in future. His salary is in line with the club's youth-team wage structure, with incremental raises tied to promotion to the senior squad.
International career: from the U15s to a senior debut for Montenegro
Kostic's international journey tells the story of a player who has fast-tracked every step. He has represented Montenegro from the Under-15s upwards, progressing through the Under-19s — with whom he helped secure qualification for the 2025 UEFA European Under-19 Championship — and on to the Under-21s and the senior national team.
His Under-21 debut was unforgettable: on 5 September 2025, in a European Championship qualifier against Italy in La Spezia, Kostic scored on his very first appearance. An away goal against one of Europe's strongest youth sides that went viral on social media and further intensified the spotlight on him.
The next step came in October 2025, when head coach Mirko Vučinić called him up to the Montenegro senior team for a 2026 World Cup qualifier against the Faroe Islands. In a subsequent friendly against Liechtenstein, Kostic was given 30 minutes on the pitch, confirming his status as a reliable resource at full international level.
Milan Futuro: the springboard to the first team
The decision to assign Kostic initially to Milan Futuro is consistent with the club's philosophy for developing young talent. Milan's reserve team, which competes in Serie C, represents the ideal bridge between youth football and top-level professionalism. Playing regularly in a competitive league like Italy's third tier will allow the Montenegrin to adapt to Italian football, its tactical intensity and the country's sporting culture.
The development plan includes constant monitoring from the first-team coaching staff. Allegri and his assistants will be able to follow the youngster's progress closely and, when they see fit, integrate him into the senior squad for training sessions and matchday squads. It cannot be ruled out that Kostic could earn his first Serie A opportunities as early as the second half of the 2026/27 season, especially if his performances in Milan Futuro live up to expectations.
Milan Futuro have already proven to be an effective career accelerator. Several young players from the Rossoneri academy have used the Serie C experience as a springboard to the first team, and the arrival of an international talent like Kostic could raise the level of the reserve side further still. For the Montenegrin, the impact of life in Milan, away from home for the first time, will also be significant, and the support of the club's staff during this delicate phase of his personal and professional growth will be crucial.
The bigger picture: Milan invest in the future
The signing of Kostic fits into a broader Milan strategy. As emerged from the summit at Casa Milan last week, the Rossoneri board have planned a summer of targeted investment combining experienced signings for immediate impact with bets on young talent destined to become the club's future. In this context, the Montenegrin represents the latter category: a medium-to-long-term investment with enormous potential for appreciation.
The modest cost of the operation, €3 million plus add-ons, makes the signing virtually risk-free from a financial standpoint. If Kostic fulfils his promise, Milan will have a high-value striker on their books for a fraction of his potential market worth. If things do not go to plan, the balance-sheet impact will be minimal. It is the type of deal that leading European clubs make systematically and which Milan, under Tare's stewardship, are learning to execute with growing efficiency.
Andrej Kostic is the first piece of the Milan of tomorrow. A 19-year-old who has already scored 11 goals in a professional season, who has earned a senior international cap and who chose the Rossoneri over the advances of other clubs. The road ahead is long and full of challenges, but the talent is there and the club have shown they have a clear plan to nurture it. Summer is approaching and the Rossoneri transfer window is already off to the right start.
Forza Milan, sempre.