Como are cutting and carving their squad on the eve of a European adventure. The Champions League draw has given the Lariani a glimpse of what awaits, and the response from the club has been swift: streamline the attack, cash in on a full-back, and bet on a midfielder who badly needs a restart.
Morata moves on
Alvaro Morata’s brief Como chapter is on pause. The Spanish striker has officially joined Leganes on loan, with an option to buy at the end of the season.
It is a clear signal. Como are trimming numbers in attack and freeing up salary space, trusting that the goals can come from elsewhere while Morata looks for continuity back in Spain. If Leganes trigger the option, this becomes a permanent parting; if not, Morata returns next summer with a very different market around him.
Van der Brempt, deal done with Sassuolo
On the flank, Ignace van der Brempt is also heading for the exit. Multiple Italian outlets, including Sky Sport Italia and Sportitalia, confirm that Como have struck an agreement with Sassuolo.
The Belgian full-back will move on loan with an obligation to buy, a package worth €6.5m in total. For Sassuolo, it is a targeted investment in energy and depth down the right. For Como, it is a calculated sacrifice: lose a versatile defender now, bank a guaranteed fee, and reallocate resources in a summer that has suddenly become about Champions League readiness.
Sassuolo had been tracking Rafik Belghali of Hellas Verona as well, but the winger is now leaning towards Torino. That only underlines how quickly the market is shifting around these mid-tier Serie A clubs, each trying to grab the right piece before the window slams shut.
Ricci lands, with a point to prove
While two players walk out of the Sinigaglia door, one arrives with a suitcase full of questions and opportunity. Milan midfielder Samuele Ricci reported for his medical today, the final step before his move to Como is rubber-stamped.
The agreement is set up as a loan for €1.5m, with an option to buy at the end of the season for a further €22m plus performance-related bonuses. Those numbers are not small change. They show just how much Como believe Ricci can anchor their midfield in the medium term.
For Milan, it closes – at least temporarily – a chapter that never quite caught fire. Ricci joined from Torino last summer in a deal worth €23m plus bonuses, but across 34 appearances he managed only one goal and never truly nailed down an undisputed starting role. He arrives at Como not as a failed prospect, but as a 24-year-old who has seen the demands of a giant and now steps into a project that might suit his rhythm and personality better.
Como’s late-window surgery is not cosmetic. Morata to Leganes, Van der Brempt to Sassuolo, Ricci from Milan: three moves that redraw the spine and the edges of this squad. The Champions League lights are coming. The question now is whether this leaner, retooled Como will be ready to stand in them.
