Both youngsters are versatile attacking midfielders/forwards who can play across all positions in the front-line in many different systems. Under Ruben Amorim, Ossola and Guernier will likely find their place as part of the 10s behind the striker, with ample opportunity to prove themselves to the new manager.

Position (or lack thereof)

Different backgrounds can transform similar traits into distinct applications, as seen in Ossola and Guernier. What the two attackers share is positional versatility, a good technical base, and solid physical traits. In the 2025/26 season, Guernier played a split of games at RW, LW, CF, and even featuring in midfield twice. Similarly, Ossola split time between RW and AM, also featuring once as an LW.

While similar, there are also considerable differences between them, which stem from how this versatility was developed. Guernier spent 13 seasons in England at Birmingham City’s academy, which has been drifting between Category 1 and 2 in recent years.

In comparison, Ossola has spent close to 13 years in Italy at AC Milan’s academy, which is consistently regarded as among the top academies in the nation, and even has competed internationally in UEFA Youth League, making the finals in 2023/24.

Thus, two main differences stand out between the developmental phases of their careers: nation and level of the academy.

These two environmental factors can play a part in the skills and habits formed from a young age, and some of that is displayed by the two Milan attackers.

England

The Premier League has surpassed all other leagues in the modern era, both in terms of quality and financial strength. The same is for their academies, with PL2 being one of the most competitive national youth leagues in Europe.

English clubs regularly produce top-level professionals with balanced skillsets, some ending up becoming elite contributors for elite teams, like Bukayo Saka, Myles Lewis Skelly, and Ethan Nwaneri for Arsenal.

The foundations for being this effective in youth development come from a deliberate effort and planning from the English FA, which set out guidelines for youth development backed by scientific methods.

In the foundation phase (ages 5–11), there is an emphasis on ball mastery, encouraging players to think and to be creative to develop their individuality while connecting with others to produce results.

Italy

In the English guidelines, there’s a lot of emphasis on the individual. In contrast, multiple anecdotes have come from Italian football, citing how meritocracy is damaged due to connections, team wins are prioritized over the development of players, and there is less of an emphasis on individual skills like dribbling.

It’s not all bad, since the higher emphasis on team-play can lead to players with good tactical understanding and a willingness to work hard for the team. However, Italy’s recent history of missing out on consecutive World Cup qualifications had led to a desire for change & improvement. In March 2026, the FIGC decided to launch a new project for the youth development in Italy, following a similar model to England, with clear guidelines provided by the federation, for the entire nation to have a shared vision, stating:

Individual technique will be at the heart of the project, combined with consummate methodologies based on age and ability. So, there will be more play based on technique and less desperate searching for a result through tactics. It’s a widely shared concept, but the application thereof is not simple, due to the excessive culture of competitiveness in football.

Additionally, the FIGC hired Paolo Maldini as technical director and Leonardo as advisor. Both previously involved at AC Milan, with Maldini being the more notable of the two for bringing success back to the club after a long period of mediocrity.

Process vs Results

Bringing this back to Guernier and Ossola, while their positional versatility is similar, how they developed that “trait” differs.

England’s emphasis on the individual and teaching good technical fundamentals means that Guernier went through the process to develop a skillset that can be deployed anywhere.

Meanwhile, Ossola was likely deployed in a variety of positions depending on the different tactical considerations his coaches might’ve had, sometimes playing CM, AM, or winger with different roles depending on what the team needs. From that, Ossola was one of the players to survive by learning how to build versatility for himself and rise to the top.

Aurelien Guernier

The new summer Milan addition came in as a free agent signing, and he holds dual British and French citizenship, perhaps giving Milan ideas of replicating the success of Michael Olise. He spent the 2025/26 season playing mainly for the U21s at Birmingham City, getting 3 goals & 1 assist in 17 appearances.

The team context of playing as an attacker in Birmingham City U21s was not ideal, with the team being pushed back frequently, not providing a large amount of attacking opportunities compared to the elite academies in the division, like Chelsea, Man United, Man City, etc. However, in those infrequent chances, Guernier showed notable promise on the ball.

Ball Mastery

The most outstanding trait Guernier showcases is his ability to control the ball and dribble. In 1v1 scenarios, he will challenge his defender to take the ball away from him, feinting and turning multiple times before ultimately getting past him.

There are a couple of indicators of how well Guernier manipulates the ball when dribbling. One of those is his use of the full surface area of his foot to move the ball around. On multiple occasions, he can be seen using the outside of his boot, inside, and even his sole to roll the ball. The use of his sole to manipulate the ball is especially notable, as it’s an advanced skill — one commonly associated with futsal dribbling.

Contact

English football is notorious for its emphasis on physicality and duels. Thus, the players coming out of that environment are understandably very adept at handling physical pressure & contact.

The stiff arm, present in other sports (most notably the NFL), is a great way to keep an opponent at bay. In addition, Guernier uses his far foot (the one opposite to his arm) to control the ball, which makes it so the opponent can’t stick his leg forward to poke the ball away.

In tandem

Football is a sport where multiple skills work at once, so here is a sequence where Guernier’s handling of contact and ball mastery both came into play.

Action begins with an incoming pass to Guernier, who leans back to decelerate in preparation to receive the ball while handling the incoming contact. He bends his knees so the impact from the incoming contact is well-distributed throughout his leg muscles, resulting in him keeping his balance throughout the altercation. After stabilizing his body, Guernier moves on to turn his body to get in front of the opponent and dribble away from him.

After turning successfully, Guernier carries the ball forward while the opponent is still not done chasing. Notably, he is using the outside foot to control the ball, which builds distance from the opponent. This pays off when he commits to the tackle and misses the ball while Guernier hops over him.

Guernier not only handled intense physical pressure from a bigger opponent, but also managed to manipulate the ball throughout it so he could get an attack started.

Blindside

Blindside runs are standard runs for any attacker when it comes to getting into goal opportunities. Guernier showcases the ability to make that type of off-ball run in the goal he scores below.

Aurelien Guernier (AG) is initially standing right on the edge of the defender’s field of vision. Right as the cross is about to be hit, Guernier moves back slightly to completely disappear from the defender’s sight, thus falling into his blind spot. When the ball comes into the box, Guernier is completely free and connects with the ball to score.

Lorenzo Ossola

Moving on to the Italian, Ossola’s outstanding trait is how he reads space and manipulates opponents with the ball in order to open up space for teammates. This showcases trust in his teammate’s capabilities and often leads to high-quality attacks when execution is good.

Reading of space & pulling in opposition 1

The action starts with the ball in possession of the defenders. Ossola has identified free space to go into and receives the pass. He baits all opponents around him to get close, and then switches the play to the other side, where even more space is opened up due to his actions.

An important observation to be made is how Ossola positions himself to be equidistant from the opponents around him. This asks questions to the opponents by making them doubt as to who Ossola’s marker is. In the best case scenario, this ends up meaning Ossola can pull in 4 players on him, which frees up his teammates immensely.

Reading of space & pulling in opposition 2

Similar example — Ossola runs into open space to support teammate and ends up pulling three players into him.

What is also impressive is how Ossola is opting into turning into the triangle formed by his opponents. It showcases great confidence in his abilities, given the tight angles and small margin for technical error.

Blindside

Just like Guernier, Lorenzo Ossola (LO) also showcases the ability to make well-timed off-ball runs utilizing the blindside. What is most important in the example below is the fact that Ossola is already on the move even before the pass to him is being made. It shows an understanding of how football actions stack up together and are not individual. That preparation was rewarded with the through ball played to him, which he was able to score from.

The data: All-round impact

Lorenzo Ossola’s reading of space & movement allows him to get involved in attacks all around the pitch. This playstyle is aided by his physical traits of having long strides to cover ground quickly and great stamina, allowing for constant movement.

Below are data radars from Ossola’s seasons in Primavera (left) and Serie D with Milan Futuro (right) in 2025/26. When considering both spells, it can be seen that Ossola’s skillset is very versatile.

What remained constant across the two different environments was a high volume of shot assists, smart passes, and getting into above average shooting positions, hence the 0.12 and 0.13 npxG per shot.

Ossola’s transition to Milan Futuro saw him increase his defensive contributions and rely on his passing more than his carrying to progress play or create chances. Perhaps that is due to the increased physicality when jumping from a youth league to a senior league. How Ossola deals with physical pressure and contact will be a key point in his development as a professional, since that way he would be able to take advantage of his full skillset.

Milan’s pre-season

After playing against Celtic in Scotland this past Saturday, three other friendlies are scheduled until the 2026/27 season fully begins, with games being played against Inter, Chelsea, and Man United in between. In these 3 pre-season games, young players like Ossola & Guernier are expected to feature among everyone else. They will be attempting to impress the manager and fans alike, so be on the lookout.