Como Reshapes Squad for Champions League: Morata Out, Ricci In

Como are not easing themselves into the Champions League era. They are ripping up and rewriting the squad list in the final days of the window.

On one side of the door, Alvaro Morata and Ignace van der Brempt. On the other, Samuele Ricci, arriving from Milan with his medical booked and a point to prove.

Morata exits as Como trim the attack

The first move is a heavyweight name leaving. Morata has officially joined Leganes on loan, a deal that includes an option to buy at the end of the season.

For Como, it is a clear call. The squad needs trimming, the wage bill needs air, and the attack needed clarity. Morata, who arrived as a statement signing, now becomes a calculated sacrifice as the club prepares for a season that will stretch them across domestic and European fronts.

Leganes get a seasoned striker with Champions League experience. Como get flexibility.

Van der Brempt heads to Sassuolo

The defensive reshuffle follows the same logic. Multiple Italian outlets, including Sky Sport Italia and Sportitalia, confirm that Ignace van der Brempt is on his way to Sassuolo.

This is not a simple stop-gap loan. The agreement is structured as a loan with an obligation to buy, with the total package set at €6.5m by the end of the season.

Sassuolo had kept their options open in wide areas, tracking Rafik Belghali of Hellas Verona. That pursuit is fading, with Belghali now leaning towards Torino, and Van der Brempt becomes the chosen solution. For Como, it is another piece moved to balance numbers and budgets.

Ricci arrives to restart his story

While some depart, a key arrival steps through the door. Samuele Ricci, Milan’s midfielder, arrived today to undergo his medical with Como.

The deal is smartly layered: a €1.5m loan fee, with an option to buy at the end of the season for a further €22m plus performance-related bonuses. It is not a casual punt. It is a structured gamble on a player whose value Milan once believed in deeply.

Ricci cost Milan €23m plus bonuses when he left Torino last summer. He never fully imposed himself at San Siro, managing only 34 appearances and a single goal. The numbers are modest, but the talent has never really been in doubt.

At Como, the equation changes. He walks into a club stepping onto the Champions League stage, a midfield in need of control and personality, and a coach willing to hand him responsibility rather than minutes off the bench.

Three deals. One clear message. Como are not just making up the numbers in Europe — they are reshaping the squad to survive the strain of it.