AC Milan
On 31 January 2020, AC Milan signed Saelemaekers on loan, with an option to buy. [3] Milan reportedly agreed a €3.5 million fee plus €1 million in bonuses in case of a permanent signing. [4] The same year on 2 February, he made his league debut as a substitute to Davide Calabria in a 1–1 draw against Verona on 2 February 2020. [5]
On 1 July 2020, Saelemaekers signed a contract with Milan which would keep him at the club until 30 June 2024. [6] On 18 July, he scored his first goal for the club in a 5–1 home win over Bologna in Serie A. [7]
In October 2020, Saelemaekers scored his first goal of the season against Rio Ave in qualification match for Europa league. [8] His next goal came on 26 October against Roma in 3–3 draw, [9] his third and last goal of the season was on 20 December against Sassuolo as Milan pulled an away 2–1 victory. [10] In total, he scored three goals and five assists assists of the season. [11]
On 15 October 2021, Saelemaekers extended his contract until 30 June 2026 with a raise in salary. [12] On 4 December, he scored his first goal of this season against Salernitana, a powerful left footed shot in eventual 2–0 win. [13] His next goal came in a Coppa Italia match against Genoa on 13 January 2022, a goal in extra time as Milan won 3–1. [14]
Loan to Bologna
On 30 August 2023, Saelemaekers joined Bologna on loan with an option to buy. [15] At Bologna, Saelemaekers quickly established himself as an important player, fitting perfectly into the manager Thiago Motta's so-called 2–7–2 system. [16] Due to the presence of Riccardo Orsolini on the right side as an "inverted" left-footed right winger, right-footed Saelemaekers began to play on the left in the similar role, a position he sometimes played in at Milan in absence of regular starter Rafael Leão. [17] Saelemaekers was about to join Bologna on a full transfer from Milan before Vincenzo Italiano took over the departing Thiago Motta as a manager at the end of the season and declined to spend €10 million on the player, focusing on other transfer targets. [18]
While initially on the summer transfer market due to oversaturation of attacking players on both wings, Saelemaekers returned to AC Milan's training camp in July, played in all the pre-season friendlies, and was even a surprise starter for the opening 2024–25 Serie A game versus Torino, playing as a left back in place of Theo Hernandez, who later came on in the second half for Davide Calabria, with Saelemaekers moving onto the right side of a back-four. [19]
