Yunus Musah insists the added pressure of playing for Milan is ‘a privilege’ and he is getting better at ‘ignoring the comments,’ but the USMNT star also realizes he’s got to stop missing sitters.
The midfielder has had a mixed reception at San Siro since making the move from Valencia for over €21 million in the summer of 2023. He has played in a variety of different roles and made 35 competitive appearances for the Rossoneri so far this season, contributing two assists.
“Being at Milan, you expect to have this pressure,” Musah told Goal.com. “It’s a privilege because, at the end of the day, if I wasn’t a professional footballer, I wouldn’t experience this stuff. You have to take the positives as well and then, when people are criticizing you, saying bad stuff about you, I’ve found so much of that during my career that it doesn’t phase me at all now.”
“At the beginning, you see it and you listen to it. Then afterward, you just see it and it still gets inside. You get better at ignoring the comments, but you still see them. It gets inside you.”
Musah went viral at the weekend following a shocking miss when clear on goal against Como, which earned loud grumbles from the crowd and some calls for him to be dropped. It is an area where the 22-year-old is well aware he is sorely lacking and needs to change, especially if Sergio Conceicao is going to continue using him in a more advanced role.
“I just need to have some more composure because, in training, I can finish, I can score goals, I can do all of that,” assures Musah. “It’s just in the games, I put this pressure on myself because I haven’t scored in so long. When I get to that situation, it’s been really tough for me to have that composure. I need to work on being able to focus. I’m working on it! God-willing, I’m going to get those goals, don’t worry.”
“I just try to improve parts of my game day to day with the things that are missing. Obviously, in the final third, I need to get goals and assists. I definitely think with work, it will come.”
So far this season, Musah has been used on the right wing, as a central trequartista behind the striker, in the center of a three-man midfield or on the right side of the same. He was also sent off in the Champions League defeat to Dinamo Zagreb but is yet to score his first Milan goal.
Musah's season has certainly been strange, but he believes he can continue to improve for AC Milan. Players like him are extremely difficult to find, and when you do find them, they are even harder to nurture. Milan has an extremely gifted physical talent in Musah, who is comfortable centrally and on the wing. However, it is not that simple.
Still, 18 months on from purchasing him, the Rossoneri are yet to find his best position, with his cameos spread across the pitch, leaving many frustrated with the lack of plan and identity to his growth.
In an interview with Goal conducted on March 20, 2025, Musah admitted that he has a responsibility to continue growing and ‘be better’ for the team.
“I was, at one point, the youngest American player with the most minutes in Europe. Having this opportunity, you make so many mistakes in a game. You learn from all these experiences at such a young age. They helped me to shape up and handle these pressures.”
“Since I’ve been around for a while, there’s no longer that patience people had for me. When you stay in the game longer, you’re expected to be better, and I understand that.”
Musah's adaptability extends off the pitch as well. He expressed how finding it easier to make new friends was akin to second nature for him, which he needed to do often as he transitioned to new teams and environments.
“Coming into the team, not knowing anyone, I think maybe just knowing Gio [Reyna] from playing against him, but when you’re open to new friendships, you manage to do it. At the end of the day, especially with football, it’s easier to become friendly once you get on a pitch.”
In life beyond football, Musah shared, “I’m very lucky to have my family now. I’m just happy, man. Simply happy. That’s all I can say. I’m enjoying the moment, and I’m still myself, but this is just another good thing in my life.”
There may still be much room for Yunus Musah to grow, but his determination and talent make it clear that AC Milan will not be giving up on the player. With perseverance, there remains great potential in what he can bring to the team in the future.
