Markus Krösche Nears AC Milan Move After Eintracht Frankfurt Exit
Markus Krösche could be heading to AC Milan shortly after leaving his position as Eintracht Frankfurt’s board member for sport. The German football executive is reportedly close to agreeing a move to the seven-time European champion, with negotiations said to have advanced significantly in recent days.
Transfer reporter Matteo Moretto has reported on X that Milan representatives and Krösche have held “intensive negotiations.” The financial terms are understood to have been agreed, while discussions have focused on the structure of Milan’s sporting department and how responsibilities would be divided. Those talks have also moved forward, and the parties are now described as “very close” to an agreement.
If completed, the appointment would give Milan a prominent executive with experience building competitive squads and managing major sporting projects. It would also mark a swift new chapter for Krösche, whose Frankfurt departure was confirmed after more than five years at the Bundesliga club.
A Long-Standing Milan Interest
AC Milan have pursued Krösche before. The club’s interest became prominent after a disappointing end to a previous season, when Milan missed out on Champions League qualification and overhauled its sporting leadership. Austria national team coach Ralf Rangnick was linked with a significant role during that period, but Krösche later emerged as Milan’s preferred candidate. A deal did not materialise at the time.
Reports in June suggested Milan were prepared to offer Krösche a four-year contract with a salary package worth around €40 million. Frankfurt sporting director Timmo Hardung was also linked with a possible move to Italy’s fashion capital. However, the most important issue was reportedly not just compensation: Krösche was said to want broad authority over sporting decisions, while Milan needed to define how that power would fit within its existing leadership structure.
Frankfurt were reportedly seeking a transfer fee of between €7.5 million and €10 million for the executive, whose contract was due to run until 2028. The club denied that negotiations had taken place at the time. His reported interest in Milan was nevertheless viewed as one factor in the gradual cooling of his relationship with Eintracht.
Why Krösche’s Frankfurt Record Matters
Krösche joined Eintracht Frankfurt from RB Leipzig in 2021 and helped guide the club through one of the most successful periods in its modern history. Frankfurt won the Europa League in 2022, then qualified for the Champions League twice during his tenure. Those achievements strengthened his reputation as a sporting director capable of competing with larger clubs through careful recruitment, squad planning and decisive leadership.
His work was not without criticism. Frankfurt’s performances and results came under scrutiny during the latest campaign, and Krösche acknowledged that appointing Albert Riera as Dino Toppmöller’s successor the previous winter had been a major mistake. Questions were also raised about the squad’s value for money and whether the team had delivered enough relative to its cost.
A prolonged summer transfer window added to the uncertainty around the club. Reports about a property purchase in Croatia also attracted attention, although the central issue remained Frankfurt’s sporting direction and the future working relationship between Krösche and the club’s leadership.
Frankfurt Confirm Krösche’s Departure
Eintracht announced on Sunday evening that Krösche had been released from his duties at his own request. The club said the decision followed “good, open and trusting discussions” in recent weeks between Krösche and supervisory board chairman Mathias Beck about Frankfurt’s sporting present and future, as well as their continued cooperation.
The wording points to a considered decision rather than a sudden dismissal. Krösche’s contract was still scheduled to run until 2028, but both sides ultimately agreed to end his role. For Frankfurt, the immediate challenge will be to maintain continuity in the sporting department while identifying a successor capable of protecting the club’s recent progress.
What Krösche Could Bring to AC Milan
Milan’s reported pursuit comes as the Italian giants look to re-establish themselves among Europe’s leading clubs. Their most recent major domestic success was the Serie A title in the 2021/22 season, which remains their only league championship in the past 15 years. The club has since faced the broader challenge of turning its historic stature into consistent results and a stable sporting project.
Ruben Amorim has taken charge as head coach this season, and Milan have made a respectable start. A 3-2 home win over Atalanta left the team fourth in the table, offering an encouraging early sign under the Portuguese coach. Still, a strong start alone will not resolve the deeper questions around recruitment, squad balance and long-term planning.
That is where Krösche’s potential appointment could become significant. His experience at Frankfurt includes building a team capable of succeeding in European competition without relying on the spending power of the continent’s richest clubs. At Milan, he would face a different scale of expectation, with pressure to identify players who can deliver immediately while also strengthening the squad for the future.
Prediction: A High-Profile Move Still Depends on Structure
The latest reports suggest the financial gap has been bridged, making the division of authority the key remaining obstacle. That detail matters: a sporting executive needs a clear mandate to make recruitment and squad-building decisions, while Milan must ensure its leadership model remains coherent. If both parties settle on a workable structure, Krösche appears well placed to take on a major role at the San Siro.
For now, the move remains reported rather than officially confirmed. But after his Frankfurt exit, the timing and progress of talks point toward a potentially rapid return to the transfer market’s headlines. Whether Krösche can translate his Bundesliga success into a new era of progress for Milan will depend not only on his recruitment decisions, but also on the authority and support he receives within the club.
