With the summer window shut and the squad settled, Milan's management have turned their attention to securing two renewals they consider a priority.
The move comes as part of a wider shift in how the Rossoneri operate, one built around paying more for quality rather than chasing volume. La Gazzetta dello Sport laid out the new strategy, and the renewals sit alongside a clearer picture of who the club wants to keep and who it is prepared to move on.
According to Gazzetta, that same appetite for quality could bring a January approach for Goncalo Inacio, the Sporting centre-back Milan came close to landing for €40m on deadline day. The interest has not cooled, and the January window offers a fresh window to return for him.
Alexis Saelemaekers is firmly in the keep column. Gazzetta reports that Atalanta made an offer for the Belgian over the summer, and Milan rejected it, viewing him as too important to the team's balance to sell. Whether he starts or comes off the bench, he is valued for the energy he brings to the side.
The flip side of the strategy is just as firm. Players outside the plans are pushed out rather than carried, the approach already applied to Fikayo Tomori, Youssouf Fofana, Christopher Nkunku and Santiago Gimenez, who were told they would no longer train with the squad if they were not wanted.
Fofana's exit shows how that policy works in practice. He turned down moves to Galatasaray and Besiktas, before accepting Sevilla at the last minute once he understood the alternative was sitting in the stands until January.
From here, the focus falls on the negotiating table, where Cardinale and the management will decide how quickly two renewals they have made a priority can actually be tied down.