Massimiliano Allegri says everybody at AC Milan must earn the right to have a future at the club, as rumours continue to swirl concerning Mike Maignan's contract situation.
Maignan's current deal with the Rossoneri is due to expire in 2026, and the Frenchman is likely to be a man in demand, having been targeted by Chelsea in the summer.
The 30-year-old, who remains the Rossoneri's captain, has kept six clean sheets in all competitions this campaign, with three of those coming in Serie A.
Speaking ahead of Saturday's trip to the Stadio Ennio Tardini, where Milan will face a struggling Parma side, Allegri said every member of his squad has something to prove.
"I always tell the lads that when at Milan, all of us, not just the players, we have to work every day with passion to create the conditions to achieve results, because you have to earn the right to wear the Milan shirt," Allegri told reporters, as quoted by Milan News.
"Once you leave Milan, it's not like you can just come back. Maignan is a great goalkeeper, and the club is planning for the future of Milan, so [Igli] Tare and [Giorgio] Furlani will do what’s best for the team.
"We have to stay focused on our main goal – finishing in the top four to return to playing in the Champions League."
While Milan sit third in the table, only one point adrift of Scudetto holders Napoli, Parma are 16th.
They have taken seven points from 10 games thus far and are perched just a single point above the relegation zone, with three of the four teams below them – Pisa, Verona and Fiorentina – still winless.
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Parma – Patrick Cutrone
Cutrone's first 63 Serie A appearances – and his first 13 goals – were for Milan between 2017 and 2019, when he left for a short stint in the Premier League with Wolves.
Nineteen of his 28 goals in the competition have been scored in home matches, including six of the last seven.
AC Milan – Rafael Leao
Leao is the only player to have registered at least 40 goals (52) and 40 assists (40) in Serie A since the start of the 2020-21 season.
The Portugal forward has been directly involved in four goals in his last four Serie A games (three goals, one assist). Since last October, only Ange-Yoan Bonny (five) has more goal involvements in the competition than Leao.