AC Milan Insist Leonardo Bonucci Is Committed to Club Amid Exit Rumours

AC Milan have dismissed speculation that Leonardo Bonucci is unhappy at the San Siro, insisting the defender "totally believes in the Milan project."

As Football Italia relayed, Gazzetta dello Sport and La Repubblica reported the Azzurri star is not content with life at the San Siro and is considering a possible transfer away from the club at the end of the campaign.

Milan have responded to that speculation:

"But how beautiful the rediscovery of Bonucci is! Suddenly we go from teasing about shifting the balance to the threat of a sudden abandonment of Milan and the interest of big clubs.

"In a nutshell, these really are inadmissible allegations. The reality is that Leo has already informally denied them. Not only that, he'll do it formally too. 

"Bonucci totally believes in the Milan project, and this just proves that pre-Christmas stories are absolutely based on nothing. The Rossoneri captain is working hard, just like all his teammates, in the ritiro to redeem himself and the whole of Milan, who are in a very negative position."

Matteo Bazzi/Associated Press

According to Calciomercato (h/t Lucas Sposito of Sport Witness), both Barcelona and Manchester City have been keeping an eye on developments in Milan.

In a summer of major acquisitions at the San Siro, the capture of Bonucci from Serie A rivals Juve was deemed a huge coup for the Rossoneri.

After all, not only were they taking a key man from their rivals, but they were landing one of the finest defenders in the game for a reasonable price. It appeared to be a symbol that Milan were serious about getting back to the summit of Italian football.

However, things haven't worked out for the seven-time European champions. They are languishing down in eighth place in the Serie A table, and as journalist James Horncastle noted, they have endured a particularly torrid week:

At the end of such a disappointing spell, perhaps it's little surprise that speculation about Bonucci maybe jumping ship has emerged.

Many considered him to be the apex defender in the game prior to his move to Milan. As such, he'll be keen to be challenging for trophies and at least competing in the UEFA Champions League. Currently, Milan appear a long way off doing either.

Daniel Dal Zennaro/Associated Press

Clubs like City and Barcelona may view this turbulent spell of transition as a chance to take Bonucci off Milan's hands. As OptaPaolo noted in the summer, when he is in form the Italian can be such an asset:

While Milan remain in awful form, Bonucci has shown signs lately he is beginning to get up to speed. If Milan are to qualify for Europe next season and quell speculation about the defender's future, you sense his own displays will have a lot to do with it.