Moretto: Chances of André joining Milan now ‘very slim’ – Benfica and Atletico enter picture

After a long and drawn-out soap opera, it appears as though AC Milan will not be signing André from Corinthians after all.

To try and summarise an issue that has dragged on for weeks now, multiple sources claimed Milan had agreed a fee for André. They believed all the relevant documents were signed to secure his arrival in what would be an operation worth €17m including bonuses.

Then, the president of Corinthians refused to let the player go because of backlash from fans. He demanded a higher transfer fee to try and appease them, which led to talk of the Milan management going to FIFA to try ‘force’ the transfer to be finalised.

ESPN Brasil claimed that Milan have indicated to Corinthians that they will return with a new proposal to try get things over the line, and CEO Giorgio Furlani met his agent 10 days ago. Yet, there has been no further movement.

‘Not dead, but very close’

On Fabrizio Romano’s YouTube channel, Matteo Moretto discussed the latest on the André-Milan saga and he confirmed that the operation is not expected to be completed.

“There’s some news on André, the 2006-born midfielder we’ve been telling you about for a long time. Milan have been negotiating his signature for some time,” he said (via MilanNews).

“We explained to you how the offer of €15-17m, including bonuses, was initially accepted by Corinthians, so much so that the parties even signed documents and preliminary agreements.

“Then some things happened, the president decided not to follow through with the negotiations, and now I’m not saying it’s dead, but it’s very close. The chances of seeing André in the Rossoneri are now very slim.

“Other clubs are interested in this very promising midfielder, not just Benfica but especially Atlético Madrid, who are working to assess the feasibility of the operation. The sporting side really likes him.”