Dodi Lukebakio: The Winger Who Slipped Through AC Milan's Fingers

There was a moment, not so long ago, when Dodi Lukebakio looked destined to wear AC Milan’s shirt rather than silence San Siro.

Back in August 2025, as reported by La Gazzetta dello Sport, Milan’s directors were juggling multiple dossiers. Talks with Marseille for Adrien Rabiot were ongoing, and in the same pile of transfer targets sat Lukebakio’s name. The then-management, with Igli Tare at the helm, made an enquiry and weighed up a move.

The context was tense. Conrad Harder had slipped through their fingers, and Milan suddenly needed to react. Samuel Chukwueze was preparing to leave for Fulham, his bags practically zipped, and the club were hunting for a winger who could replace his direct running and end product. One profile stood out: a Belgian wide man coming off an 11-goal campaign in Spain with Sevilla.

Quick. Versatile. Left-footed. A clean, dangerous strike from range. Those traits were scribbled into scouting reports at the time; on Wednesday night, Davide Bartesaghi learned them all in real time. Maybe too vividly for his liking.

Milan chose another route. Lukebakio’s path bent away from Serie A and, as the window dragged towards its close, he left Spain. In early September he signed for Benfica in a deal worth around €25m, committing to a five-year contract with a €50m release clause written in bold. A sliding-doors moment sealed.

His goal at San Siro was the perfect snapshot of the player Milan once studied so closely. A natural left-footer, Lukebakio loves to hug the touchline, then knife inside onto his stronger foot, eyes fixed on the far post. Start wide, cut in, whip it towards the corner: the move is predictable on paper, far harder to stop on grass. That exact pattern produced the opening goal on Wednesday night, right under the nose of the club that almost brought him in.

By 28, his passport already tells a story of constant movement: Belgium, England, Germany, Spain and now Portugal. Each stop has sharpened a different edge of his game. With the Belgian national team he has collected 33 caps and six goals, a steady presence rather than a fleeting cameo.

There is a theme to his club career too. He has already hit double figures in a single season for Hertha Berlin, Fortuna Düsseldorf and Sevilla, proving that his scoring touch is no one-off burst. Benfica now wait to see if history repeats itself in Lisbon.

Given how he has started, and how ruthlessly he punished Milan’s hesitation in the past, would anyone dare bet against him?