Como reshape squad for Champions League: Morata out, Ricci in
Como are not easing themselves into the Champions League era. They are tearing into the final days of the transfer window.
On one side of the door, Alvaro Morata and Ignace van der Brempt. On the other, Samuele Ricci, fresh from a difficult spell at Milan and now handed the chance to relaunch his career on the banks of Lake Como.
Morata moves on
The first decisive cut comes in attack. With the squad swollen and European football looming, Como have moved Morata to Leganes.
The Spanish striker joins on loan with an option to buy at the end of the season, a deal that trims the wage bill and clears space in the forward line. For Morata, it is another chapter in a career built on big moves and fresh starts. For Como, it is a necessary step in narrowing a squad that had grown heavy.
They are not just pruning for the sake of it. Every outgoing now has a tactical and financial logic.
Van der Brempt bound for Sassuolo
On the right flank, Ignace van der Brempt is also on his way. Multiple Italian outlets, including Sky Sport Italia and Sportitalia, confirm that Como have agreed terms with Sassuolo.
This is not a simple loan. Sassuolo take him initially on loan, but with an obligation to buy at the end of the season. The total package sits at €6.5m, a clear sign that the Emilia-Romagna club see the Belgian as a long-term starter rather than a stopgap.
Sassuolo had weighed up another option in that role, chasing Rafik Belghali of Hellas Verona, but the winger now appears to be leaning towards Torino. The choice sharpened their focus on Van der Brempt, and they moved quickly.
Como, in turn, bank a guaranteed future fee and free up a slot in a department where they needed clarity.
Ricci arrives to reset
While two players pack their bags, one steps through the door. Samuele Ricci arrived today to undergo his medical, the latest sign that Como are intent on adding technical quality in midfield ahead of a season that will stretch them across multiple fronts.
The deal is structured with caution and ambition in equal measure: a loan at €1.5m, with an option to buy for €22m at the end of the season, plus performance-related bonuses. If Ricci hits his stride, Como have the right to turn a short-term fix into a cornerstone.
For Milan, it closes a brief and slightly underwhelming chapter. Ricci joined from Torino last summer in a move worth €23m plus bonuses, a significant outlay for a player expected to grow into a central role. Instead, he managed only 34 appearances and a single goal, never quite nailing down an undisputed place in Stefano Pioli’s plans.
Now he drops into an environment where he should be central rather than peripheral. At Como, Ricci will be judged not on what he cost Milan, but on what he can build in a side stepping onto the Champions League stage.
A squad trimmed with intent
These are not random late-window swings. Como are cutting and adding with a clear idea: reduce numbers, raise the level, and balance the books before the European adventure begins.
Morata’s experience, Van der Brempt’s energy, Ricci’s potential — each move carries its own story. The real verdict, though, will come under the lights, when this reshaped squad discovers whether it has been built to survive the Champions League… or to belong in it.
