“The club made a fatal mistake by allowing Martin Ødegaard to leave and I’m not going to allow that mistake to happen with this particular player anymore…We must extend his contract by all means”: Ancellotti urged the club to avoid losing an irreplaceable youngster whose contract is about to expire this month, warned against losing him

Carlo Ancelotti paced the sidelines, watching his team warm up in the final moments before their next match. His mind, however, wasn’t on the game ahead. Instead, he was consumed by one particular thought—the impending expiration of a contract. It wasn’t just any contract, but the one belonging to a young talent who had been rising through the ranks at an alarming rate. The same talent that the club had already allowed to slip away once before, in the case of Martin Ødegaard.

Ancelotti had seen it happen with Ødegaard—a young player with tremendous potential, one who could have been the heart of the club for years. But the club had hesitated, delayed negotiations, and eventually let him go, making a move that many still considered a mistake. Now, as the clock ticked down to the end of another contract, he was determined not to let history repeat itself.

The player in question, an incredibly gifted 20-year-old midfielder, was on the cusp of greatness. His performances had been stellar, and everyone around the club knew that he was the future. But as his contract neared its expiration this month, Ancelotti knew the risk of losing him was real. The offers were already coming in from top clubs across Europe, and without a renewal, the player might be lured away by the promise of guaranteed first-team football and a bigger paycheck.

“I won’t let this happen again,” Ancelotti muttered to himself as he walked into the club’s boardroom after the match. His words were direct, unwavering. He had seen the potential slip away before, and he was not about to watch it happen again.

He sat down with the club’s executives, the atmosphere tense, with the weight of the situation hanging heavy in the room.

“Gentlemen,” Ancelotti began, his voice calm but firm, “The club made a fatal mistake by allowing Martin Ødegaard to leave, and I’m not going to allow that mistake to happen with this particular player anymore. We must extend his contract by all means. He is irreplaceable.”

The board members exchanged wary glances, but Ancelotti wasn’t backing down. He leaned forward, his eyes intense.

“You see the way he plays,” he continued. “This is not just another talented kid. This is a player who can shape the future of this club. We need to ensure that he stays here, and we need to do it now, before someone else steps in. We have to make him feel valued—give him the commitment he deserves.”

The negotiations began immediately. Ancelotti didn’t allow the club’s usual bureaucracy to stall the process. He knew this was a decisive moment in the club’s history. Every decision mattered, every word spoken, every offer made.

As the days passed, the player’s agent and representatives entered into tense talks with the club. The pressure was mounting, but Ancelotti remained the constant figure, urging the board, reminding them of the lessons learned from Ødegaard’s departure. With the clock ticking down to the final days of the player’s current contract, a deal was finally struck—a long-term extension that would secure his future at the club.

The young talent, relieved and grateful, agreed to the terms. The club had averted disaster, and Ancelotti had ensured that the club’s future would be bright.

Looking at the young midfielder at training the next day, Ancelotti couldn’t help but smile. “We’ve made the right choice,” he thought. “This is a player who will carry this club to new heights.” He had learned from past mistakes—and he wasn’t about to let them happen again.