The Omari Hutchinson AC Milan move was sealed on deadline day, and now the winger has explained why he could not turn it down. Speaking for the first time since swapping the City Ground for San Siro, Hutchinson has revealed the phone call from head coach Ruben Amorim that opened with a reminder of the goal he once scored against him – and an apology.
Why the Omari Hutchinson AC Milan loan was impossible to refuse
Hutchinson joined the Italian giants on a season-long loan on 1 September, with a reported €40m (£34m) option to buy that could make the deal permanent next summer. It brought a difficult first year Trentside to a pause rather than an end: signed from Ipswich Town for a reported £37.5m – a club record at the time – the 22-year-old made just one appearance this season, coming off the bench in the Carabao Cup defeat to Leeds United.
His verdict on the switch, given to Milan’s official website, was unequivocal. “It’s crazy. It’s a dream. When a big club like AC Milan come knocking, I think it’s crazy to not come,” he said. “Growing up, my dad always spoke about the big legends coming from this club. To see that I’m here now, it’s an amazing feeling.”
The Ruben Amorim phone call – and the apology
The persuading was done by Amorim, the former Manchester United manager now in charge at San Siro. He did not begin with tactics.
“I had a phone call with him,” Hutchinson said. “The first thing he said was, ‘You scored against me’. I just laughed on the phone and said sorry. He said, ‘No problem, now it’s time to do it with us’.”
The goal in question came in November 2024, when Hutchinson struck for Ipswich to earn a 1-1 draw against Amorim’s United – one of the moments that convinced Forest to spend big on him the following summer. That the same finish became an ice-breaker two years later is the sort of symmetry football throws up.
The rest of the conversation was more conventional, and clearly landed. “He gave me a lot of positive feedback. He wants me in the team,” Hutchinson said. “I want to work for him and work for the badge. I can’t wait.”
A holiday encounter with Andrea Pirlo
There was a hint of what was coming over the summer, too. Hutchinson bumped into Milan great Andrea Pirlo while on holiday in Spain, long before the loan was agreed.
“Meeting Pirlo was crazy. I was in Spain with my family, on holiday,” he told the club’s website, as reported by the Nottingham Post. “I got out the car and he wasn’t with anyone, just with his family. I don’t think anyone recognised him. I asked for a picture and we had a little chat about who I play for and stuff like that. That was a surreal moment.”
What it means for Forest
For the Reds, this is a loan rather than a write-off. Hutchinson remains a Forest player, and the €40m option means the club could yet recoup most of what they paid Ipswich if he thrives in Serie A. If he does not, they get back a 22-year-old with a season of Italian football behind him.
What the deal does confirm is a shift in priorities. Hutchinson left on the same day Dilane Bakwa headed to Lille, and with Oliver Glasner favouring a 3-4-2-1 built around wing-backs, the orthodox winger is no longer the profile Forest are stockpiling. Daniel Muñoz’s £22m arrival from Crystal Palace tells the same story from the other direction.
Hutchinson’s departure was one of six loan exits as Glasner trimmed his group. The head coach now has a settled squad and a full week on the training ground before Tottenham Hotspur visit the City Ground on Saturday at 3pm, with the Reds still chasing a first win of the season. Hutchinson, meanwhile, has a new badge to work for – and one apology already out of the way.
