While there is plenty of focus at the moment on the Charles De Ketelaere soap opera, AC Milan are also pushing to add a centre-back before the season begins.
As reported this morning by La Gazzetta dello Sport (via MilanNews), Milan will fully turn to the signing of a new central defender once the negotiations for De Ketelaere are closed, because the departure of Alessio Romagnoli and the fact Simon Kjaer has just come back from a serious knee injury mean there is a need for a signing.
The two names that Paolo Maldini and Ricky Massara are working on above all are those of Abdou Diallo of Paris Saint-Germain and Japhet Tanganga of Tottenham, who have both been linked extensively over the past few days and weeks.
Regarding the former, it seems difficult for the Senegal international to arrive on loan and would have a high transfer fee, while he also receives a considerable salary at PSG. Tanganga would be cheaper but he is younger and less experienced, though the margin to find an agreement with the Spurs on a loan deal is there, with an option (which Milan want) or obligation (Tottenham’s preference) to buy.
What happened to getting Ndicka??
He was an option if CDK didn’t come as he cannot be brought on “load + option to buy” (his contract runs out next summer). He would need to be bought right away and most of Milan’s transfer budget might be spent on CDK. Getting N’Dicka now would mean no other players would come. Altough I’m not saying it would be a bad thing as he can play anywhere in defense.