Milan now have enough young talent on the books to put together a full starting eleven made up entirely of U21 players, a sign of how much the club has poured into its youth project of late.
The idea was first raised by MilanPress, who noted that the numbers add up if the criteria are applied strictly. The squad has been reshaped with young signings and academy graduates pushed closer to the first team, and the depth of that group is now visible in a single line-up.
Laid out in a 3-4-2-1, the XI reads: Torriani in goal; Vladimirov, Odogu and Diawara across the back three; Athekame, Comotto, Sala and Bartesaghi in midfield and at wing-back; Cisse and Kostic behind the striker; Camarda leading the line.
The selection comes with a caveat, as Valeri Vladimirov only just scrapes into the age bracket. Others could have been drafted in too, with Silvano Vos and Kevin Zeroli both eligible, so the exact eleven is a matter of preference rather than a fixed group.
For all the promise on show, a side of this profile would struggle to hold its own in Serie A, and that is the honest measure of where these players are right now.
The exercise is more a snapshot of the talent coming through than a viable match-day plan, but it shows the pipeline Milan are building for the years ahead.