5 AC Milan Youngsters Who Could Taste First-Team Action in 2015/16 Season

AC Milan's youth setup is a good one.  The Primavera team won the prestigious Torneo di Viareggio last year for a record ninth time, avenging their 2013 final loss to Anderlecht.

The team has done well bringing their talent up over the years—although less so lately.  Academy product Bryan Cristante—who had a cup of coffee in Milan's first team last year and looked one of their best players doing it—was sold outright last summer to Benfica, a mind-boggling move to fans.

They also managed to block Riccardo Saponara, a promising prospect purchased in January 2013, until he left the team on loan to Empoli—where he turned into one of the hottest players of the second half of the season.  The kicker: Empoli have an option to buy him this summer that they will almost certainly exercise.

Still, Milan does have some talented youth on their payroll.  Filippo Inzaghi gave cameos to a few of his former Primavera charges late in the year, but this year Milan needs to blood more of its youngsters.

Here are five young players who should find some first-team minutes coming their way in the 2015-16 season.

Andrea Petagna

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Petagna could be tapped to fill Giampaolo Pazzini's role in the attack.

Andrea Petagna has played as a junior international at four levels.  A talented forward with some ball skills, at 6'2" he's also the kind of battering ram forward who most pundits think is obsolete but that every team really needs.

Two years ago, Milan looked set to keep him on the first-team roster.  He even got minutes in the season opener, but after Adriano Galliani bought Alessandro Matri from Juventus, he was sent on loan to Sampdoria.  This season, he spent separate loan stints at Latina and Vicenza.  He didn't see the field as much as he might have liked, but it was more than he likely would have received under Inzaghi this year.

With Giampaolo Pazzini out of contract and unlikely to return, there is an opening in the forward line, even if the pending move for Jackson Martinez goes through.  The team is likely to spend a lot of money for front-line players, so the 19-year-old would be a no-cost option for depth behind the first XI.

If Petagna stays, Milan fans may end up seeing a few goals like this in the near future.

Hachim Mastour

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Mastour has spent a bit more than a year on the first team but has yet to appear.

Hachim Mastour has been on Milan's first team for a bit more than a year now.  His promotion to the senior side was accompanied by much fanfare, but so far he hasn't made the field in an official match.

He's turned in a few shifts in friendlies against Real Madrid and San Lorenzo, but Milan has decided not to blood their wunderkind in competition.

That needs to change next year.

Next year, Mastour will be 17.  He's a whippet and is surely not going to be able to withstand the pounding of a full season, but after more than a year training with the first team, its time for him to get some minutes.

For the young attacker to truly begin to realize his potential, he needs to start facing live opponents.  The practice field is no replacement for facing down the likes of Stefan de Vrij or Giorgio Chiellini.  If Mastour is to develop into the club-defining player Milan thinks he can be, that education needs to start now.

If Mastour doesn't start seeing minutes next year, something is seriously wrong.

Simone Verdi

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Verdi (left) has spent the last two years on loan at Empoli.

Simone Verdi is an interesting case, because there's no guarantee that he'll be a Milan player next year.  

For the last three years, Verdi has been co-owned with Torino.  For the last two of those years, he's been on loan at Empoli, where he helped them gain promotion to the top flight and then stay up with a solid season.

Italy banned co-ownership last summer.  Existing co-ownership deals were allowed to be extended for a year, but all such deals must be resolved by the end of this transfer window.  That means that by the beginning of the coming season, Verdi will either be a Milan player or a Torino player.

If the co-ownership is resolved in Milan's favor, Verdi is a player who should be on the field as much as possible.  Verdi is a fantastic trequartista.  He's equally excellent dribbling and passing, and his finishing has sharpened as time has gone on.

Verdi has been in Milan's youth setup since 2003, and getting him back could be a huge upgrade in the midfield.  If they manage to keep him, he needs to have starter's minutes.

Alessandro Mastalli

Alessandro Mastalli was the captain of the Primavera this year and was one of the youngsters Pippo Inzaghi gave a cameo to toward the end of the season.

A midfielder of considerable skill, Mastalli scored the goal that iced the Viareggio final last year.  He's a good passer and finisher, and when he turns 20 next February, he won't be eligible for the Primavera, the U19 level.

In his 14-minute debut against Torino, the youngster, per WhoScored.com, completed every pass he attempted and managed to get into a dangerous position in the box, firing in a shot that was blocked.

The senior team is beckoning, and Mastalli could find a minute or two on the field if he joins his former teammate Mastour.

Sebastian Gamarra

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Gamarra (No. 15) is getting some major experience at the Copa America.

Another midfielder, Sebastian Gamarra hasn't seen time with the first team yet at the club level, but Bolivia coach Mauricio Soria has deemed him worthy of a spot on Boliva's Copa America roster.

He didn't figure in the El Verde's tournament-opening 0-0 draw against Mexico, but he did get his first international cap in a warm-up friendly against Argentina.

Gamarra is only 18, so he'll probably be spending the next year in Cristian Brocchi's care.  That will leave him at Sinisa Mihajlovic's disposal should he want to get some youngsters to speed.  If he stays in the youth setup, it won't be a surprise to see him running on as a late-game sub every now and then.