There are 26 days left until the summer transfer market deadline and for AC Milan the time has come to start making some movements on the exit front.
According to Calciomercato.com, the mission is to sign a defensive midfielder plus Lazar Samardzic from Udinese and Tammy Abraham from Roma. To get all three, some sales are needed to raise funds, free wages and make spots in the squad available. The report goes through them case by case.
Fode Ballo-Toure: He has only one year left on his contract but the only offer to come in was from Besiktas and he rejected them. The former Monaco man wants to play in the Premier League and his agent has proposed him to the newly promoted Ispwich Town. In the Championship he is liked by Watford and Leeds.
Divock Origi: The case of the Belgian striker is the most paradoxical. Milan have asked him to find a new club but Origi does not seem to be so motivated to move, instead waiting and hoping that an MLS club comes forward, while an offer Trabzonspor was turned down.
Yacine Adli: The midfielder hasn’t changed his mind: he wants to stay at Milan because he cares so much about the club. For this reason he has rejected two offers: one from Al-Shabab and the other from Al-Sadd Sports Club. The Rossoneri want €13-14m to sell, and would replace him with Samardzic. If he stays, he could be left out of the squad lists.
Luka Jovic: The Serbian remains on the way out of Milan because Fonseca doesn’t seem to want to bet on him as Morata’s deputy. Jovic has admirers in Russia, Spain and Saudi Arabia but seems inclined to stay at the Rossoneri.
Ismael Bennacer: Bennacer is certainly a special case because Milan would sell him – even for less than his €50m clause – but the Algerian does not have a big market. Two offers from Saudi Arabia have been spoken about but for the moment these are just rumours.
Tommaso Pobega: Milan would gladly keep him because of the fact he is useful for the squad lists, but there is always the issue of the possible capital gain to consider, while Bologna has shown some interest.
Alexis Saelemaekers: The Belgian was supposed to be the first player to leave Milanello and instead he earned Fonseca’s trust thanks to his work in this preseason. The Belgian has a great chance of staying but if a €20m offer were to arrive then things would change.
Marco Nasti: Verona are interested in the young striker and Milan are talking about using him as a counterpart to sign Alphadjo Cisse. Some offers have also arrived from Serie B clubs, with Furlani also considering a permanent transfer.
Keep Saelemakers, Bennacer and Nasti, the rest can be sold. Adli also for depth wouldn’t be the worst.
Curious as to what you see in Nasti? I rate Colombo higher than him and I don’t rate Colombo highly at all. Not a criticism of your opinion but just curious because he wasn’t great at Bari last season and is now in his 20s.
2 or 3 days ago we were reading articles about Bennacer being like “a new signing” for the team and now he is a “must sell” player…again.
Why is Bennacer on this list?
He can play in a variety of roles, he knows the club and league, he is a good pro, now he is fully fit he is one of our best midfielders, perhaps the best.
I would hate to see him leave and we won’t get his full value after he was out so long with injury. Makes zero sense and would leave another hole in the squad.
Right now Bennacer and Reijnders are our best
RLC below them
Musah, Adli, Pobega lower again
Bennacer too slow !! Sell !!
I agree with you he is very slow and he uses only on leg
I can’t wait for September.
I’m glad squad lists are being talked about because alot of these transfer rumours don’t even make sense. Pobega and Calabria for instance are in great positions to stay as they are homegrown and we don’t have many.
Either way we have to settle on who our 17 players are (excl homegrown and as.sociation). Adli and Saele are the two at risk who are most likely to see football at the club. Origi and Balo I dont even consider them tbh. They need to figure out if they have ambition or not…either leave or stay in Futuro.
The 17 I presume will be on the lists are:
Defence
1.Maignan
2. Thiaw
3. Tomori
4. Pavlovic
5. Kalulu
6. Theo
Mid
7. Bennacer
8. Reijnders
9. Loftus Cheek
Attack
10. Leao
11. Pulisic
12. Okafor
13. Morata
14. Chukwueze
15. Jovic
Up for grabs:
16. New DM/Fofana?
17. Pellegrino? Emerson? Tammy?
Lmk if I missed anyone. But this leaves out Adli, Pellegrino (may be close to leaving) and/or Saele especially if Fofana arrives.
Musah for now is young enough to join the under 22 list in case ppl were wondering. And the rest are also either under 22 or club/asn trained.
– I think if Jovic or Okafor leaves they’ll keep Saele.
– If Thiaw or Kalulu gets sold then he also stays and we can comfortably accomodate two more signings.
– If Bennacer leaves then 1. they’re really stupid and 2. it frees up an additional spot.
-Note that Lazar would be in the homegrown list I believe so I haven’t included him in the 17
There’s lots of wiggle room only if we see players above move.
Tammy if join will take jovic slot. Number 16 fofana or other physical DM , 17 will be emerson ( he is close to ACM source fabrizio romano) . Most likely they will push bennacer & adili to accept saudi club for saladmaker slot . Double pivot will be tiji , fofana ( or other DM ) , yunus musah, pobega & RLC ( 5 player fight for 2 spot ) . AMF will be pulisic fight with lazar ( if he is join ACM , if not then RLC back to AMF)
I think Fonseca wants to play Pulisic as a No. 10, and Chuk and Leao on the wings. If that’s the case, their backups would be Okafor (LF), Samardzic (if he joins, but truth be told he’s a ‘nice to have’, not a requirement), and Alexis (RW).
Who are the best two MFs for the double pivot spots:
– Tiji: for sure a starter
– RLC: he can also be No. 10, but I’d love to see him, Pulisic and Chuk on the field together)
– Fofana: if he signs, then he is a starter, which leaves just one MF spot open)
– Bennacer
– Musah
– Adli
– Pobega
Bennacer to me is the sure starter in the pivot. Deers might find himself on the bench this season. But sure if Deers is a pivot then that’s a waste of position for him and won’t bring out his best traits. Best it out him in attacking midfield and let someone else be pivot. If it’s Fofana then fine or another DM. But starting the same pivots as last year is suicide knowing how badly that went
Bennacer too damn slow and a bit of a floater . SELL !!!
“Tammy if join will take jovic slot. Number 16 fofana or other physical DM ” I’d so love to have DM in addition to Fofana. Its just that I highly doubt we’re going to do that.
I see alot can happen quickly in the end of the window with the players you mentioned moving. But I’d like to keep Bennacer at least as he has Serie A experience and we just don’t know how Fofana will do here. Adli doesn’t seem to be in the plans and his head has dropped too.
I don’t understand moving on Jovic though. He did well as a sub .
According some source , they will not buy tammy if jovic still on squad. My prediction ( just prediction) double pivot will be tiji – fofana ( if ACM buy him ) while AMF will be pulisic and his vice RLC ( or lazar if he join) . Putting RLC in double pivot are bad idea ( he is lazy to help defense) while tiji still want to help defense but i must admit his defense ability still below krunic . Bennacer & adili i dont know stay or leave but i think management will forcing them to leave for giving fofana & lazar room , i dont mind benny stay too ( he can play double pivot & AMF )
Its a good time to sell RLC.
He is not good at AM and not suited to double pivot
I don’t mind Benny- Tijji is we really don’t have a choice but Fofana-Tijji is too offensive imo but doable against smaller teams. I just hope they don’t sell Benny