AC Milan prospect Akram Jadid draws comparisons with Hachim Mastour after first-team invitation

At 15, Moroccan forward Akram Jadid has been invited to train with AC Milan’s first team, marking a significant step in the development of one of the club’s most highly rated young players.

Jadid, who was born in 2011, has regularly played above his age group since joining the Rossoneri and has already appeared for the club’s Under-17 side. His progress has now earned him an opportunity to work alongside the senior squad.

The teenager’s emergence has inevitably prompted comparisons with Hachim Mastour, another early teenage sensation at AC Milan who attracted worldwide attention more than a decade ago.

Jadid is regarded as a powerful player with his back to goal and an explosive presence in space. He is also considered comfortable in one-on-one situations and highly effective in front of goal. Within Milan’s youth ranks, he is reported to have scored close to 700 goals.

He also played a notable role in the club’s Under-15 title success last season. The invitation to train with the professionals represents the latest milestone in a progression which has seen him consistently compete against older players.

Mastour, who is also Italo-Moroccan, began training with AC Milan’s first team at the age of 15 and signed his first professional contract at 16. During the early 2010s, videos showcasing his technical ability were viewed around the world, while several of Europe’s leading clubs were reported to be competing for his signature.

Morocco were particularly keen to secure Mastour’s international allegiance. That eventually happened in 2015, when he replaced Nordin Amrabat against Libya. It proved to be his only appearance for the senior national team.

Mastour’s career subsequently took a far more difficult direction. Loan spells at Malaga and Zwolle failed to provide the breakthrough expected, while he struggled to establish himself at the highest level. The player once widely described as a future star was unable to fulfil the considerable expectations placed upon him, and his career quickly lost momentum.

Although he had, according to the latest information, not abandoned his ambition of returning to the top level, his career had taken a dramatic downward turn. His experience later became an example often cited when warning young players about the risks of excessive exposure and the pressures that can accompany fame at an early age.

Jadid already holds dual nationality. He is the son of Rachid Jadid, a former player who has lived in Italy since 1991, and has been developed entirely within the Italian football system.

Despite that background, Akram Jadid already represents Morocco Under-16 and has made two appearances for the side. Italy are also understood to be monitoring his progress closely.

It is far too early to predict how Jadid’s career will develop. However, his impressive scoring record, his age-group progression and his first experience of training with the AC Milan senior squad show that he has reached an important stage.

In Morocco, the hope will be that Jadid follows Mastour’s example in terms of talent and early promise, but avoids the difficulties that followed later in his predecessor’s career.