Youssouf Fofana is the man that AC Milan want to bolster the midfield but they have had an offer rejected by Monaco, according to a report.
Calciomercato.com report that Fofana is not just a player who the management feel would improve the midfield department but he is now the ‘absolute priority’. He is strong in transition, physically well built, intelligent tactically and useful in build-up.
This is why Geoffrey Moncada remains in constant contact with the agents of the 25-year-old even if the negotiations with Monaco are proving to be a bit more complicated than they expected, given that his deal expires in 11 months.
In the last few hours, Monaco made it clear to Milan that the offer of €12m plus bonuses for Fofana is still not enough. Now the management will evaluate what to do next, with the awareness that a proposal of €20m will be needed to get the green light.
An agreement in principle was reached some time ago over a five-year contract worth €3.5m net per season with Fofana, so now it is simply a case of finding a meeting point with the Ligue 1 club. However, some alternatives are also being looked into.
Milan have been following the 24-year-old Palmeiras midfielder Richard Rios for months but he has seen his value triple after an excellent Copa America campaign with Colombia. The new asking price is €30m, and the Rossoneri are pondering whether to present an offer in the coming days.