Dodi Lukebakio's Journey: From AC Milan Talks to Benfica Stardom

There was a moment, not so long ago, when Dodi Lukebakio looked destined to wear the AC Milan shirt, not tear holes in it.

Back in August 2025, as La Gazzetta dello Sport recalls, Milan’s hierarchy were deep in negotiations with Marseille for Adrien Rabiot. On the same table, another name kept circling: Dodi Lukebakio. The then-management, led by Igli Tare, made their move, sounding out the possibility of bringing the Belgian to San Siro.

Context mattered. Milan had just watched the Conrad Harder deal collapse and were bracing for the departure of Samuel Chukwueze, who was packing his bags for Fulham. A replacement on the right was non-negotiable. Among the shortlisted options, one profile stood out: a Belgian winger coming off an 11-goal campaign in Spain with Sevilla, quick and unpredictable, left-footed and lethal when he cut inside.

That same skill set is what Davide Bartesaghi experienced first-hand on Wednesday night. Up close. Too close.

Milan chose another route in the market, and the Lukebakio idea drifted away. No agreement, no late twist, no unveiling at Casa Milan. While the Rossoneri turned elsewhere, Lukebakio’s path bent sharply away from Serie A.

He left Spain and, in early September, signed for Benfica in a deal worth around €25m, committing to a five-year contract that includes a €50m release clause. A clear investment, a clear bet on a winger entering what should be his peak years.

And then came San Siro.

Lukebakio did what Lukebakio does. A natural left-footer, he started wide, hugged the flank just long enough to draw his marker out, then sliced inside with that familiar, slaloming run. Head up, body opened, he shaped the ball towards the far post. It was the exact pattern Milan’s scouts once admired on video. This time it ended with the opening goal against them, under the floodlights of a stadium that might have been his home.

At 28, his passport reads like a career of constant motion: Belgium, England, Germany, Spain, now Portugal. He has already worn the shirt of the Belgian national team 33 times, scoring six goals, a steady presence in a generation packed with attacking talent.

The numbers follow him wherever he goes. Double figures in a single season for Hertha Berlin. Double figures for Fortuna Düsseldorf. Double figures again at Sevilla. Different leagues, different systems, same outcome: goals.

Now he stands at Benfica, in a side built to attack, with a release clause that hints at even bigger stages ahead. He has already shown he can carry the scoring load in three countries.

The question for this chapter in Lisbon is simple: can he make it four?