Nottingham Forest winger Omari Hutchinson is in advanced talks to join AC Milan on loan. The Serie A giants are negotiating a season-long deal with an option to make the move permanent.
Forest manager Oliver Glasner has left the 22-year-old out of his matchday squad for the club's first two Premier League games this season. Those fixtures yielded a single point, leaving Forest 13th in the table with a goal difference of minus one.
Hutchinson's potential departure comes after a mixed first year at the City Ground. Forest paid Ipswich Town £37.5 million for his services just last summer. He made 42 appearances across all competitions in the 2025-26 campaign, contributing one goal and eight assists. His only involvement this term was an 11-minute cameo off the bench in the midweek Carabao Cup defeat to Leeds United.
Sources close to the player have indicated that personal terms with Milan are largely agreed. Forest sources, speaking anonymously, have confirmed that discussions with the Italian club are progressing well. The move would represent a significant opportunity for Hutchinson to reignite his career at a historic European club.
Milan's interest is directly linked to the impending departure of their star winger, Rafael Leao. The 27-year-old Portugal international looks set to join Galatasaray after the Turkish club accepted a package worth €45 million (£38.5 million). Galatasaray have offered Leao a net annual salary between €10 and €12 million and publicly confirmed their negotiations. On Saturday, the club posted a video of Leao wearing their scarf with the statement: "Transfer görüşmelerine başladığımız Rafael Leão, İstanbul’da!"
Hutchinson is viewed as a potential replacement to fill the void on the flank. His profile as a direct, left-footed right winger fits a similar mould. The Athletic first reported Milan's acceptance of the Leao offer on Thursday, setting this chain of events in motion.
The player came through Arsenal's famed academy before joining Chelsea in the summer of 2022. He moved to Ipswich Town on loan in July 2023, a switch that was made permanent a year later before his big-money move to Forest. Despite being eligible for Jamaica, Hutchinson has represented England at under-21 level.
His Premier League career totals stand at 63 appearances, four goals, and nine assists. A loan to Milan offers a chance to develop in a different league and under less immediate pressure, with the safety net of a return to Nottingham if the option is not triggered.
For Glasner's Forest, moving Hutchinson on would clear a significant salary and potentially open a squad space. The Austrian manager is assessing his options as he looks to improve upon a start that has seen his team concede three goals in two games. The club is also currently without midfielders Ibrahima Sangare and Nicolas Savona.
The potential deal reflects a pragmatic approach. It recoups no immediate fee but removes a high-cost player from the wage bill who is not in the manager's immediate plans, while securing a future option. It allows Glasner to focus on integrating other players as Forest prepare for their next league challenge, with their current league position detailed on our standings page.
