AC Milan director Paolo Maldini is at work to try and secure the spine of the team heading into the new season, a report claims.
Calciomercato.com report that with the sale of the club to RedBird Capital now complete, Maldini and sporting director Ricky Massara can resume their work on renewals, starting with Rafael Leao. Locking up the former Lille star is a priority and contacts with his entourage continue. The current asking price is €6.5m net per season plus bonuses, and the aim is to snatch an agreement for approximately €5.5m plus bonuses.
The renewal of Zlatan Ibrahimovic is taking shape more and more despite the knee surgery that will keep him out until January 2023. The current idea is a one-year renewal with very low fixed part and bonuses linked to personal and team objectives.
The centre-back pairing of Fikayo Tomori and Pierre Kalulu – both under contract until 2025 – should both extend too. The parties are moving towards a two-year extension for both, with Tomori getting an increase from €2m to €3m net per year and Kalulu going from €600k to €1.5m per year.
Regarding Ismael Bennacer, a draft agreement was found between March and April at €3m net plus bonuses until 2026, but the player asked for time to better evaluate the new project of RedBird. A new meeting with his agent is expected before preseason begins to resume the discussion and the objective is to convince him to stay.
Tommaso Pobega has returned from his latest loan at Torino and should sign an extension of one or two years despite having a deal until 2025, while Antonio Mirante is heading towards a new one-year deal.
Alessandro Plizzari and Leroy Abanda’s deals will expire in 2023 and if the idea is a new loan for both, then they will have to extend their contracts.
I don’t think leao will renew.