There were no massive expectations on Pellegrino when he arrived from Argentina in the summer of 2023. A 20 year old leaving South America to join one of the biggest clubs in the world, it is a feat which few leap into success from straight away.
Instead, his time in Milano was filled with problems, as he played just three games, two in the Primavera, and then once with the senior team – where he suffered an injury after coming on as a substitute against Napoli.
Since then, he has had three moves away and grown a little bit further and is now hoping for a chance to prove himself for the Rossoneri, which he admitted to Gianluca Di Marzio
“In the 19th minute, Kalulu got hurt. Pioli turned and called me: ‘Marco, you come on’. I took off my bib and went onto the pitch, I was in seventh heaven. But after an hour I felt pain in my ankle and stopped: I hadn’t even finished the match.
I feel like a different person than I was two years ago, when I arrived at Milan. Back then, I had only played a handful of games with the big boys, at Platense . Now I have experience: I’m a starter and I play in international competitions. In these eighteen months of loans, I’ve matured a lot.”
“When I arrived at Milan I took two months of lessons to settle in better, but the difference in level was great, so I left on loan in January to prepare to come back stronger. And now, yes, I feel ready. Physically and mentally.
“I was training with Platense. A scout from the club came to me and explained: ‘ Marco, Milan is monitoring you and they could send us an offer soon’. The… Milan? Wow. I immediately called my agent and he got in touch with the Rossoneri.
“The negotiations began: the management was determined to take me and so my agent flew to Italy with the president of Platense. In a few days they closed the deal and in less than a week I was also in Milan.
“[How did I feel?] Incredible. When a club like that calls you can only accept. I immediately called my family : they were in America for a stopover, they changed the tickets and flew to Milan to be with me during the days of the signing.
“In the locker room I bonded a lot with Musah , who speaks a little Spanish due to his years at Valencia, and with Reijnders. Tijji is a fantastic guy and a phenomenal player. And then two leaders like Giroud and Kjear helped me. Olivier won a World Cup at 31 and a Champions League at 34. And Simon also lifted his first Scudetto at 34: they always told me to work in silence and have patience to get great results over time.
The three loans served precisely this purpose. In the summer I would like to return to Milan to stay, even if I know it won’t be easy. I have an excellent relationship with the club and I hope they can win the Coppa Italia. And I tell the fans to have faith in me: I want to take over Milan.”
