AC Milan are set to activate their buy-back option for Francesco Camarda after Lecce exercised their option to buy the teenage striker from the Rossoneri, keeping the Serie A transfer inside a narrow June 18-20 counter-option window.
Football Italia reported that Milan intend to trigger the clause, while Lecce's official statement confirmed the legal step that opened the window: Lecce exercised its option to acquire Camarda permanently from AC Milan, and Milan retained the right to exercise a counter-option from June 18 to June 20.
Lecce Option Opens Milan Buy-Back Window
The structure matters more than the size of the fee. Football Italia, citing Matteo Moretto, reported that Milan would need to pay Lecce slightly above 500,000 euros to bring Camarda back.
Camarda was sent to Lecce at the beginning of the 2025-26 season to get a full Serie A campaign. The deal included an option for Lecce to buy him and a buy-back mechanism in Milan's favor if the Salento club used that option.
Lecce confirmed on Tuesday that it had exercised its right to buy Camarda on a permanent basis. The same announcement made clear that Milan's counter-option runs only from June 18 to June 20, leaving a short administrative window for the Rossoneri to act.
Camarda Remains A Milan Development Asset
Camarda's profile explains why Milan are moving quickly. Football Italia reported that he scored 485 goals in 89 matches across Milan's youth teams, an academy record that has followed him into every senior discussion.
He has already made 33 Serie A appearances and turned 18 in March, according to the same report. That combination, early top-flight minutes and a still-teenage development curve, makes the buy-back clause a squad-planning decision rather than just a cheap accounting move.
For Lecce, exercising the option completed its part of the loan-to-buy agreement. For Milan, the next step is whether to use the June 18-20 counter-option and put Camarda back under direct club control after a full season away.