Chukwueze Played Ninety Minutes, And Milan Came Back From Two Down

Sports

Rome · Sunday 13 September 2026

Samuel Chukwueze played the full ninety minutes as AC Milan came from two goals down to draw 2-2 with Lazio on Saturday. It was his fourth appearance of the season, he was named in Ruben Amorim's starting eleven, and the match ratings were good.

Three days ago the story was that Milan want to extend his contract to 2031. This is the part that makes the argument.

serie a football stadium evening Photograph by dominik hofbauer via Unsplash.

Ninety minutes is the statistic

Not the rating, not the draw. A year ago Chukwueze was a squad player at Milan who ended up on loan at Fulham because he could not get on the pitch. Starting and finishing a difficult away game in Serie A is the change, and it is the only kind of evidence a contract negotiation actually responds to.

Last season	This season
On loan at Fulham	Four appearances for Milan
Not trusted to start	In Amorim's first-choice eleven
Contract running down	Club briefing about a deal to 2031

Two assists so far, and the season is four games old.

What coming back from 2-0 tells you. Milan were beaten for an hour and did not lose. Teams that rescue points away from home are usually teams whose manager trusts the players he can bring on and the ones he left on the pitch. Chukwueze was in the second group, which says more than any rating out of ten.

The Super Eagles read

Nigeria's problem has never been finding wingers. It has been finding wingers who start every week at a club that expects to win.

The AFCON qualifiers are the next test, and the squad has spent most of this year short of forwards playing regular football at a high level. A Chukwueze who is first choice at Milan in September is a different asset to the one who spent last season waiting at Fulham.

What still is not settled

No contract has been signed and no figures have been published. What has changed in a week is the evidence: a club that wants to keep him, and a player giving it reasons in public.

Reporting: Complete Sports, Sempre Milan and Punch Newspapers.

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