Milan director Geoffrey Moncada reveals attempt to sign Vinicius Jr. and Jude Bellingham before Real Madrid

Harvard Business School report on Milan reveals attempts to beat Real Madrid to Vinicius Jr. and Jude Bellingham transfers.

A section in the report (via La Gazzetta dello Sport) quoted Milan’s technical director of scouting Geoffrey Moncada as he admitted to pursuing Vini Jr. and Bellingham before interest from Real Madrid.

“We tried to sign, at the time 17 years old, Vinicius Jr. and Jude Bellingham when he was 20, but we could not compete with Real Madrid,” said Moncada as he highlighted the challenges surrounding players in a competitive market. He further explained how despite the constraints, the club’s scouting department has brought in remarkable players – “We have to accept it. In recent years we have brought great players to the club, and as a former scout I see it as a personal challenge the objective of taking underrated players and making them perform at the highest level”, commented Moncada.

Moncada specified the name of Tijjani Reijnders in his quotes as an example of making calculated bets and growing players to suit their own style. The director emphasised the need for a diverse scouting network to tap into leagues like the Eredivisie, Liga Portugal and others to source affordable yet talented players.

Trambak Bhattacherjee | GIFN