The 19-year-old made only three first-team appearances for AC Milan last season, totalling 16 minutes on the pitch, along with three further outings for the club's Milan Futuro side. The move to Ligue 1 is designed to give him the regular playing time he lacked in Italy, with the loan running for one season without an obligation to buy.
Toulouse marked his arrival with a playful presentation video comparing Odogu to a new car, describing him as having "a robust chassis, as solid as a tank," before showing him driving the vehicle in question.
Speaking to the club's official channels after completing the move, Odogu said his brief time in Italy had still been a valuable learning experience and that regular football was now his priority. He said he had been left with a strongly positive impression of Toulouse from his early conversations with the club and was convinced it represented the ideal environment to continue his development.
Milan had signed Odogu from Wolfsburg last summer on a contract until 2029, with an option to extend by a further year, viewing the centre-back as a long-term investment for the defence. He made his senior breakthrough at Wolfsburg in April 2025 and has represented Germany at youth level, winning both the Under-17 European Championship and the Under-17 World Cup in 2023.
The loan represents one of the first squad decisions taken by new head coach Ruben Amorim since assessing the group during pre-season, with the Portuguese having identified several players who will need regular football away from Milanello this year to continue their development.
Odogu will remain in France until the end of the season, with reports in Italy suggesting the agreement runs specifically until 30 June 2027 and includes Toulouse covering his wages for the duration of the loan. The move continues Milan's approach of loaning out promising young players who fall outside a new coach's immediate plans rather than selling them outright, allowing the club to retain control of his contract while he builds experience in a competitive Ligue 1 environment.