Colombo spent his entire youth career at AC Milan and signed his first senior contract at the San Siro, but never forced his way into the first team under a succession of managers.
A series of loans followed — to Lecce, SPAL, Spezia, Monza and Empoli — before he joined Genoa this season from Milan, with a mandatory purchase clause inserted into the agreement that would activate upon the fulfillment of certain conditions.
Those conditions were met. Genoa confirmed the permanent transfer on their official website and announced a contract running through to June 2029, with reports putting the fee at approximately €10m.
Colombo finished the season with seven goals and one assist in 37 Serie A appearances, 29 of which were starts. The consistency of his involvement under coach Daniele de Rossi gave him the sustained run of games he had rarely been afforded at previous clubs, and the results — while not spectacular — were sufficient to satisfy the clause conditions and justify the commitment.
He spoke to the club's official channels after the announcement, addressing the supporters directly.
"I wanted to connect with a club, a team and a place like this, and I will do my best to repay the trust and support shown to me by the club, the manager, my teammates and the fans."
He also acknowledged the weight of the club's history and the standards that carries for the supporters.
"I am obsessed with the atmosphere we see in the stadium at every match and I am aware of the legacy we represent for tens of thousands of supporters."
Colombo becomes the first Milan academy product to establish himself permanently at a Serie A rival in recent years, a fact that reflects both the depth of Milan's development operation and the difficulty of breaking through at a club with the resources to recruit established names.
At 24 and with an uninterrupted run of first-team football now behind him, the permanent deal at Genoa represents a foundation from which he can build a career rather than another chapter of uncertainty.