AC Milan are intent on signing Youssouf Fofana, and the deal is not being easy to complete. However, a deal has just become more difficult, as a familiar rival have entered the scene, for a second time this summer.
The opening to Milan’s summer was horrific, and the reaction was expected. When you have flirted with the idea of signing a player for months and been the favourite to sign them throughout, you surely sign them… Right?
Wrong.
Instead, you lose them in the 11th hour to Manchester United, who did not fall to the mercy of an agent. In every way, the Joshua Zirkzee saga was a pain, and normally, it would be a tale revisited in a few summers time, when a similar story could occur. However, the mercato story writers are cruel, and it could be repeated in the same window.
Since the opening of the mercato, Youssouf Fofana has been the top pick for the Rossoneri to strengthen the midfield, and personal terms have already been agreed. Nevertheless, there is an issue matching Monaco’s demands.
As Luca Bianchin reports for Gazzetta dello Sport, the Red Devils will not have any issues matching these demands, and they are a ‘serious threat’ to any potential deal. Given they have ‘expressed an interest’, the clock could be about to strike a familiar time.
For Fofana, he still views the Rossoneri as the first choice. Importantly, though, he would not say no to Manchester United, who have presented him with ‘an equally ambitious project’.
Nothing is agreed currently, if the Diavolo do not reach an agreement soon, then someone else will take the step. An all too familiar situation, an all too familiar opposition. Potentially, an all too familiar nightmare.
Can Manchester United just stop? Aren’t they busy with Mazzaouri, De Ligt, Ugarte?
I actually want Manchester United to get Fofana by tomorrow so we can move on to another target.
We’re wasting time, we’re hoping Monaco will get desperate and sell to us for low price in the end of the summer, and Fofana isn’t even a true DM anyways.
They have no other option. They won’t be that dumb as to get rid of him on free.
If not these should be our targets: Sangare, Danilo, Varela, Schouten, Locatelli, Florentino, and not Kone.
“They have no other option. They won’t be that dumb as to get rid of him on free.”
Or maybe they’re not as desperate for money as we think they are.
Truth is we don’t have as much of a leverage as we think we have. They might or might not need money, but we need a DM.
Sangaré have been transfered last season to Nottingham for 35M€ and is currently valued at 30M€. If we can’t pay Fofana how are we paying Sangaré. Plus he is Ivoirian with no EU passeport.
Are you talking about Danilo from Nottingham ?
I’m not well versed on Varela, not impressed by Schouten and Locatelli is a no.
Florentino seems to be a good call IMO.
I agree Koné isn’t even a DM, he’s more of a ball carrier.
These are all that there is, with a remote hope to develop into something. Stiller and some young midfielders are there as well but they would cost even more than the guys I mentioned. CDM is vital role.
and I thought the deal was more about us not going with crazy demands rather than not having money. as I get it the management is open for spending but if the deal is adequate. Fofana deal also going through with 15M deal for Emerson, might leave even more for us to spend on ST. I just hope that’s the strategy, if not the situation is way worse than we thought. wasting a chance to complete a very strong and balanced squad with 2-3 additions.
Every midfielder mentioned in your comment, with the exception of Locatelli, is a ball carrier, not just Kone.
Are you looking for a regista or a DM? Because most DM’s are ball carriers. With the retirement of Kroos, only Hakan and to a certain level Rodri are able to spread the ball forward, around the pitch, with a pass, and are solid defensively. The rest of them make short lateral and backwards passes or run forward with the ball.
Just look at France at the Euro’s. Their midfield was Tchouameni, Kante and Rabiot. All they can do is run and push people. None of then can pass. That’s why France sacked.
If you don’t want a ball carrier, then Locatelli is the best option from the names mentioned. But he sucks defensively. Might as well play Adli, who is the French version of Locatelli.
@Z: Florentino seems to be solid defensively and is also in high percentile in forward passes and progressive passes.
Right now our priority is a player who is solid defensively, regardless of how well he can pass the ball forward. He can always pass the ball sideways or backwards for what I care as long as he doesn’t lose it, we already have players that “supposedly” can spread the ball forward and scan the pitch (otherwise what’s the point of Reijnders, Loftus-Cheek, Bennacer and Adli ?). In 2021/22, Kessie did the dirty job while Tonali was tasked with playmaking.
You mentioned France in the Euro, but France’s problem is the opposite of ours. They have many destroyers but no playmaker.
Those “Rodri”, “Hakan” type of players are way above our financial capabilities, so might as well go for an ugly destroyer who pushes people around even if his passing abilities are average at best.
Pain to who? The only people that gets dissapointed about stuff that is not set in stone not happening are kids.
Gazzetta dello Sport.
Lets revisit this when someone with some integrity reports this.
It’s time we move on. This management is cheap and don’t want to pay for him. He’s not coming for free next year since someone else will buy him. So, let’s just focus on another DM and get it done asap. It’s two weeks out from the start of the season and we’ve signed two players and one had a release clause. They need to get it moving.
Ffs Zirkzee 2.0, please mind the gap…..
I saw this coming…I said it in a previous post…the will of a player only last until the next prestigious club comes knocking…players don’t want to wait forever to have theor situations resolved…and unfortunately Milan is notorious for drawn out deals. And the sooner we wake up to that reality the better. Tonali was the last player in recent times that kept his word…the ‘ wait for Milan’ horse has long bolt…our transfer strategies are our biggest undoing…
Pretty much said the same thing would happen. No player worth an ounce of salt will stay at their club if there is a discounted price for them. 35 million is affordable for us regardless if we want to pay it by principle, you have to spend or be left in the dust then waste more time and risk being empty handed or with less adequate options at higher or the same price.
Our management doesn’t seem to grasp that concept.
Milan can in turn go for Ugarte instead
Wholesome offer of 15M and bonuses from Milan will definitely make this move happen. P$G won’t know what hit them
Bro, without missing a beat, went from 15M +bonuses offer for Fofana to Ugarte?
I was thinking the same. Ugarte’s strength is his ability to win the ball. However, his ball distribution isn’t up to scratch for an ambitious team.
He will certainly have limited playing time at PSG, so we could approach them with a proposal that will benefit all parties.
mickey, man utd can’t match psg offer and you want moncada to go on a spending spree for a player they can’t afford from day 1.
do you believe mocanda didn’t know all this players y’all mentioned are available?
but he alone can’t make the decisions.
there are more shadow executives in Milan voting on specific targets to go for.
as a board executive
if i know kone is not a real Dm but so far he covers that position accurately i will rather go for him as fofana replacement than the names mentioned in this forum so far.
his market value has the highest potential to sky rock in the next 4-5yrs than all this names
you will disagree only if you are not watching the current olympic.
he his coming from a competitive tournament should he win gold medal, that is a fresh winner mentality we getting.
On the Commercial market he his more of a model player for our kit.
don’t even let me go further why Kone should be the replacement.
we are wasting are time
1. monaco want over 25 million
2. he’s contract is expiring
3. he ain’t a real dm, we need someone like cardoso
I hope at this point UTD sign him and we can move on.
Another huge waste of time and a total lack of credibility.
Season starts in 2 weeks. The clowns in charge need to finalise comings and goings, though it seems they are incapable of either
People blamed Maldini for poor transfers and lack of sales, now you see why. The people who were approving and turning down his suggestions are in charge now, haven’t signed a midfielder. We only purchased one striker valued at 13 million euros with a release clause and a defender at CB where arguably, we have the most depth prior to the signing relative to other urgent roles we had to reinforce.
Complete disaster in the making and a mockery of our club.
Brah, maldini was with Eliot not gerry…
You do know Milan changed owners, right? It was kinda a big deal
No. That doesn’t fit his narrative. Let him float on that island.
Ummm….not exactly
Redbird officially purchased Milan from Elliot in August of 2022 – but was calling the transfer shots that summer of 2022 – under M&M
Maldini was fired in June of 2023.
And we all know what happen at summer 2022.
Yeah. “Calling ” the shoots in 2022. I remember that summer..very uneventful. Which was the plan of redbird, anyway
Also the people advising us is Billy Beane. He was brought in by Gazidis and has invedtments tied in with Cardinale for sports management, recruiting IP, based on mkneyball, adapted from baseball to football. It is documented all over the Internet. Educate yourself. Same book, different cover.
Furliani was one of the board members under Elliot. He is one of their hires. In fact he was a portfolio manager for them before coming to Milan. He was responsible for approving budgets for wages and transfers under them, still is today. We are making the same kind of moves and have the same people advising the club for transfer targets.
Maldini was turned down when he asked for Ibra, Bennacer, Theo, Leao and Tonali. He constantly challenged that turd…
Go read up about it. Same nonsense keeps happening over and over again.
He dropped the M bomb!🍿🥃
Fofana or whoever, just get them into the team to start training under Fonseca. Otherwise it’s a la CDK delayed development all over again.
LOLOLOLOLO
Well well well….another one gone. And to United once again LOL – not surprising after they dropped interest in Ugarte. Now they can get Fofana for half the price of Ugarte.
Guess the constant strategy of the “Low Ball Offers” and “Waiting Game” didn’t work…AGAIN!
Shocking!!!!!
It’s ok boys – I’m sure we will be told by Fulani that the demands of Monaco were so excessive that we just had to pass and that not to worry – we have Pobega – who is like a new signing for us! I’m sure Fonseca can mold him into our new DM to save the day!! 🤡🤡🤡🤡
It’s amazing how many players are happy to sit on Man Utd’s bench as they come seventh with their £quall¥ Amitiou$ Proje¢t
Honestly it would be better for man U to have him, buying a player who has less than a year on his contract for more than 20 million is not wise, we could get cheaper players if we search, or it’s better to go for Johnny Cardoso , who has an Italian passport, and is a US international, and he is also technically very ok, we could also benefit commercially from his purchase, Jens Cajuste is also available, and he is very good defensively and technically ok
This short of thing is the future GET USED TO IT.
As for Redbird I’ve been saying this for some time but don’t they owe Elliot over 600 million for the club in the form of a loan?
Redbird really don’t own the club they haven’t got the money to buy it or fund it hence why they borrowed the money.
The whole deal was very dodgy from the start but because they are AMERICAN that means they can be trusted.
Now a lot of people will probably jump all over this but hang on what if Redbird don’t follow through with the payment?
Why is in football terms such small amounts of money for let’s face it average players not available?
What’s happening with the new stadium?
Ac milan once led the way in sports science across the board.
Why hasn’t been taken up by these owners to put us back on that level?
What’s happened to our ability to find young talent around the globe?
As an Ac milan fan of over 30 years the situation does not add up.
For example Elliot Redbird are happy having ibra front of house however the way the club is run now there is no chance in hell a player like ibra would ever come to Ac milan even if he wanted to.
If Redbird don’t pay, Elliot gets it back. They won’t be paying off that loan with profit from the club, they’ll be paying it off from their fund and the plan is to raise the asset value of Milan so it’s worth more than they pay for it (plus the interest).
Whenever anyone thinks the club is making the sort of profit a company like this would care about, it’s laughable; it being self sustainable is different, but they’re not taking money out of the team either, they’re just not saddling it with additional debt.
Fine, this is the future. Still better than banter era. An odd trophy here and ther. I can live with that.
You are ill informed and make a lot of assumptions that don’t really make sense. You think a fund that manages of 10bln is at risk of default? These aren’t some Chinese playboys who struggle to get daddies money out of China. These are professional business people that have a goal of creating a self sustainable club that can compete in the modern game.
Ben you have a clear bias that is beginning to come out. This is recycling the same garbage. The only familiar tune is you hacks make some stuff up about links and contacts and offers then spin those loosely correlated to fit whatever narrative you want. By my count Milan are the only team to lodge an official offer, they’ve only made one and it’s in the neighborhood 20M. All those teams you say are an immediate threat passed because they have bigger needs. I could go on X right now and find a tweet linking Man U to every player with name recognition and one year remaining on their contract.
🌡🍿🥃
The DM is the most important position after we got Morata. The lack of a DM so far speaks volume about the lack of competencies and ambitions among the managers of the club.
Which DM that fits ACM and are realistic for us, I don’t know. I only know the importance of this position when we play 4231, and the importance of such a player to join as early in the pre-season as possible.
I’ve posted this several times; it cost money to earn money.