4 AC Milan Academy Prospects to Watch out for

AC Milan have never made a habit of producing world-class players every few years. They were never like Ajax or Sporting Lisbon or Barcelona, which is a shame for such a big club—a seven-time European champion and previously the most decorated club in the world.

But in recent years, Milan have not made much of an effort to keep hold of those young players who have promised something special. They let go of Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, the forward now scoring goals at a blistering pace for Borussia Dortmund, and they gave up on Matteo Darmian, the versatile 24-year-old full-back who now regularly earns call-ups to the Italian national team.

In August, Milan sold Bryan Cristante to Benfica for €6 million. "We would have liked him to stay, and I tried to convince him, but he wanted to leave," Milan CEO Adriano Galliani told reporters (h/t Forza Italian Football).

But the question is, why did he want to leave? Why did they sell him so quickly? Why didn't they convince him to stay? 

Mattia De Sciglio and Ignazio Abate are rare graduates of Milan's academy currently playing for the first team. But it's not enough. Milan have not allowed their prospects to grow. 

And yet, there are still a few prospects left. Here are four such players.

Alessandro Mastalli

David Vincent/Associated Press

Alessandro Mastalli is the captain of the Primavera squad. He has trained with the first team, like several of his peers, and he was with Milan during their tour of the U.S. and Canada this summer.

He is an 18-year-old midfielder who is very quick to the ball, and he can also score some spectacular goals.

Mastalli scored for Milan in pre-season, but he told the club's official website that, for now, it is an "honour" to captain the youth team.  

Andrej Modic

Mike Janes/Associated Press

Andrej Modic played with the first team last year in a friendly against Chiasso, and "Modic quickly took control of the midfield and even outplayed Kaka on his AC Milan return," according to BHDragons.com, a site monitoring Bosnian players.

Modic has a future. He was on the bench for a Champions League game as a 17-year-old, and he is exactly the kind of player Milan are missing: a playmaker with technical ability.

Modic has a good relationship with Pippo Inzaghi, who coached him at the youth level and "helped [him] a lot especially away from pitch," Modic told the official club website.

We could see him in the first team later in the season.

Christian Maldini

Though Paolo Maldini's No. 3 jersey has been retired by Milan, it can be brought out of retirement for one of his sons.

Christian Maldini comes first. He is the oldest of the two, Daniel being the younger one, and Christian has already trained with the first-team squad. "They're lucky to be able to play for the youth team of a club like Milan," said Paolo in an interview with Setanta. "And that keeps them in good shape."

"They're both happy to play," says their grandfather Cesare, who also captained Milan, "but it's clear that they've both got a different outlook on life, especially because of their surname, which unfortunately for them weighs heavy."

Hachim Mastour

Hachim Mastour is only 16, but he has already featured in ads and promo shoots with Neymar.

He has not yet played in Serie A, but he was called up to the first-team squad in May and has stayed there since. Largely an unused substitute, Mastour is mostly gaining experience and spending time with Stephan El Shaarawy.

Mastour is a potential marketing machine, but Milan have been careful with him.