Alexis Saelemaekers (born 27 June 1999) is a Belgian professional footballer who plays as a winger for Serie A club Roma, on loan from AC Milan, and the Belgium national team. Although Saelemaekers primarily plays in attack, he can also play as a full-back and wing-back.
 Saelemaekers with AC Milan in 2022 | |||
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Alexis Jesse M. Saelemaekers[1] | ||
| Date of birth | 27 June 1999 | ||
| Place of birth | Berchem-Sainte-Agathe, Belgium | ||
| Height | 1.80 m (5 ft 11 in)[2] | ||
| Position(s) | |||
| Team information | |||
Current team |
Roma (on loan from AC Milan) | ||
| Number | 56 | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 2010–2012 | V. Beersel-Drogenbos | ||
| 2012–2018 | Anderlecht | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2018–2020 | Anderlecht | 57 | (2) |
| 2020 | → AC Milan (loan) | 13 | (1) |
| 2020– | AC Milan | 99 | (5) |
| 2023–2024 | → Bologna (loan) | 30 | (4) |
| 2024– | → Roma (loan) | 2 | (0) |
| International career‡ | |||
| 2015 | Belgium U16 | 1 | (0) |
| 2017–2018 | Belgium U19 | 4 | (0) |
| 2018–2020 | Belgium U21 | 12 | (0) |
| 2020– | Belgium | 12 | (1) |
|
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 23:37, 15 September 2024 (UTC) ‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 07:02, 4 December 2023 (UTC) | |||
Club career
editAnderlecht
editThis section of a biography of a living person does not include any references or sources. (July 2024) |
In October 2017, Saelemaekers signed a contract at Anderlecht until 2019. On 16 February 2018, he made his official debut against Sint-Truiden. He came on as a substitute in the 77th minute. On 8 June 2018, Saelemaekers renewed his contract until 2022.
AC Milan
editOn 31 January 2020, AC Milan signed Saelemaekers on loan, with an option to buy.[3] Milan reportedly agreed a €3.5 million fee plus €1 million in bonuses in case of a permanent signing.[4] The same year on 2 February, he made his league debut as a substitute to Davide Calabria in a 1–1 draw against Verona on 2 February 2020.[5]
On 1 July 2020, Saelemaekers signed a contract with Milan which would keep him at the club until 30 June 2024.[6] On 18 July, he scored his first goal for the club in a 5–1 home win over Bologna in Serie A.[7]
In October 2020, Saelemaekers scored his first goal of the season against Rio Ave in qualification match for Europa league.[8] His next goal came on 26 October against Roma in 3-3 draw,[9] his third and last goal of the season was on 20 December against Sassuolo as Milan pulled an away 2-1 victory.[10] In total, he scored three goals and five assists assists of the season.[11]
On 15 October 2021, Saelemaekers extended his contract until 30 June 2026 with a raise in salary.[12] On 4 December, he scored his first goal of this season against Salernitana, a powerful left footed shot in eventual 2-0 win.[13] His next goal came in a Coppa Italia match against Genoa on 13 January 2022, a goal in extra time as Milan won 3–1.[14]
Loan to Bologna
editOn 30 August 2023, Saelemaekers joined Bologna on loan with an option to buy.[15] At Bologna, Saelemaekers quickly established himself as an important player, fitting perfectly into the manager Thiago Motta's so-called 2–7–2 system.[16] Due to the presence of Riccardo Orsolini on the right side as an "inverted" left-footed right winger, right-footed Saelemaekers began to play on the left in the similar role, a position he sometimes played in at Milan in absence of regular starter Rafael Leão.[17] Saelemaekers was about to join Bologna on a full transfer from Milan before Vincenzo Italiano took over the departing Thiago Motta as a manager at the end of the season and declined to spend €10 million on the player, focusing on other transfer targets.[18]
While initially on the summer transfer market due to oversaturation of attacking players on both wings, Saelemaekers returned to AC Milan's training camp in July, played in all the pre-season friendlies, and was even a surprise starter for the opening 2024–25 Serie A game versus Torino, playing as a left back in place of Theo Hernandez, who later came on in the second half for Davide Calabria, with Saelemaekers moving onto the right side of a back-four.[19]
Loan to Roma
editOn 30 August 2024, he joined fellow Serie A club Roma, on loan for the 2024–25 season.[20]
International career
editSaelemaekers debuted with the Belgium national team in a 1–1 friendly draw with Ivory Coast on 8 October 2020.[21] In September 2021, he scored his first goal in a 2022 FIFA World Cup qualification against the Czech Republic.[22]
Career statistics
editClub
edit- As of match played 15 September 2024[23]
| Club | Season | League | National cup[a] | Europe | Other | Total | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Anderlecht | 2017–18 | Belgian Pro League | 11 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 11 | 0 | |
| 2018–19 | 30 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 3[b] | 0 | — | 34 | 0 | |||
| 2019–20 | 16 | 2 | 3 | 0 | — | — | 19 | 2 | ||||
| Total | 57 | 2 | 4 | 0 | 3 | 0 | — | 64 | 2 | |||
| AC Milan (loan) | 2019–20 | Serie A | 13 | 1 | 2 | 0 | — | — | 15 | 1 | ||
| AC Milan | 2020–21 | 32 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 7[b] | 1 | — | 40 | 3 | ||
| 2021–22 | 36 | 1 | 4 | 1 | 6[c] | 0 | — | 46 | 2 | |||
| 2022–23 | 30 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 8[c] | 2 | 0 | 0 | 39 | 4 | ||
| 2024–25 | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | 1 | 0 | |||||
| Total | 112 | 6 | 8 | 1 | 21 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 141 | 10 | ||
| Bologna (loan) | 2023–24 | Serie A | 30 | 4 | 2 | 0 | — | — | 32 | 4 | ||
| Roma (loan) | 2024–25 | Serie A | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 2 | 0 | |
| Career total | 201 | 12 | 14 | 1 | 24 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 239 | 16 | ||
- ^ Includes Belgian Cup, Coppa Italia
- ^ a b Appearances in UEFA Europa League
- ^ a b Appearances in UEFA Champions League
International
edit- As of match played 19 November 2023[24]
| National team | Year | Apps | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| Belgium | 2020 | 1 | 0 |
| 2021 | 6 | 1 | |
| 2022 | 2 | 0 | |
| 2023 | 3 | 0 | |
| Total | 12 | 1 | |
- Scores and results list Belgium's goal tally first. Score column indicates score after each Saelemaekers goal.[24]
| No. | Date | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | 5 September 2021 | King Baudouin Stadium, Brussels, Belgium |  Czech Republic |
3–0 | 3–0 | 2022 FIFA World Cup qualification |
Honours
editAC Milan
Individual
References
edit- ^ "Comunicato Ufficiale N. 267" [Official Communication No. 267] (PDF) (in Italian). Lega Serie A. 19 July 2020. p. 3. Archived from the original (PDF) on 20 July 2020. Retrieved 15 November 2022.
- ^ "Alexis Saelemaekers: Biography". AC Milan. Retrieved 30 August 2022.
- ^ "Saelemaekers is a new AC Milan player". AC Milan. 31 January 2020. Retrieved 4 July 2020.
- ^ "Milan make Saelemaekers signing". Football Italia. 1 February 2020. Retrieved 4 July 2020.
- ^ Colombo, Monica (3 February 2020). "Milan-Verona 1-1: senza Ibrahimovic i rossoneri frenano. L'esordio di Daniel Maldini". Corriere Della Sera (in Italian).
- ^ "Comunicato Ufficiale: Alexia Saelemaekers". AC Milan. Retrieved 1 July 2020.
- ^ "Match report AC Milan 5-1 Bologna, Serie A 2019/2020". AC Milan. 18 July 2020. Archived from the original on 22 December 2020. Retrieved 19 July 2020.
- ^ "Rio Ave 2-2 AC Milan". BBC Sport. BBC. Retrieved 11 March 2022.
- ^ "AC Milan 3-3 Roma". BBC Sport. 26 October 2020. Retrieved 11 March 2022.
- ^ "Rafael Leão scores quickest ever Serie A goal to spark AC Milan victory". Marca. 20 December 2020. Retrieved 11 March 2022.
- ^ "Alexis Saelemaekers". Diario AS. Retrieved 11 March 2022.
- ^ "Alexis Saelemaekers rinnova il contratto con l'AC Milan: Il comunicato ufficiale". AC Milan (in Italian).
- ^ Fisher, Oliver (4 December 2021). "AC Milan 2-0 Salernitana". Smpre Milan. Retrieved 11 March 2022.
- ^ "AC Milan 3-1 Genoa". BBC Sport. 13 January 2022. Retrieved 11 March 2022.
- ^ "Alexis Saelemaekers joins Bologna". Bologna FC 1900. 30 August 2023. Retrieved 30 August 2023.
- ^ Ritchie, Calum (13 June 2024). "Thiago Motta's "Super Offensive" 2-7-2 Formation Explained". Give Me Sport.
- ^ Fisher, Oliver (9 May 2023). "GdS: Probable XI for AC Milan vs. Inter | Saelemaekers on the left wing". Sempre Milan. Retrieved 11 July 2024.
- ^ Fisher, Oliver (6 June 2024). "GdS: Bologna will not use €9.5m Saelemaekers option | He will return to Milan". Sempre Milan.
- ^ "AC Milan - Torino | Official lineups - Saelemaekers starts as a left-back". 17 August 2024.
- ^ "Alexis Saelemaekers signs for Roma". Roma. 30 August 2024. Retrieved 30 August 2024.
- ^ Lambert, Pierre (8 October 2020). "Alexis Saelemaekers "ne pouvait pas rêver mieux" pour ses débuts" [Alexis Saelemaekers couldn't ask for a better result for his debut]. RTBF (in French). Retrieved 11 July 2024.
- ^ "Saelemaekers na sterke prestaties: "Ik zal de keuzes van Martinez respecteren"". Voetbal Primeur (in Dutch). 9 September 2021. Retrieved 11 July 2024.
- ^ "Alexis Saelemaekers". WorldFootball. Retrieved 22 December 2020.
- ^ a b "Alexis Saelemaekers". EU-Football.info. Retrieved 26 April 2021.
- ^ "Milan secure 1st Serie A title in 11 years". News18 India. 22 May 2022. Retrieved 22 May 2022.
- ^ "Alexis Saelemaekers Wins April's Goal of the Month". Serie A. Retrieved 13 May 2023.
External links
edit
- Profile at the AC Milan website
- Alexis Saelemaekers at the Royal Belgian Football Association
- Alexis Saelemaekers at TBPlayers
- Alexis Saelemaekers – UEFA competition record (archive)
