AC Milan are looking to secure a number of sales in the coming weeks given that there are a few players who are not deemed part of the plans moving forward.
This morning’s edition of La Gazzetta dello Sport (seen below) writes that the Milan management hope to choose wisely the destinations for the outgoing players and this week will be important.
Charles De Ketelaere: The Belgian playmaker is close to joining Atalanta. He seems convinced by the move, and Milan have an agreement with the Bergamo club over a €3m paid loan with an option to buy set at €23m plus bonuses.
CDK, after the disappointment of 2022-23, is no longer a player that is part of the project. Milan aim to return as much as possible from the €35.5m investment made a summer ago.
Fode Ballo-Toure: The left-back is close to Werder Bremen as he has opened to the destination, after having closed the door to Fulham, and the clubs are talking to each other.
Werder made a verbal offer to Milan and the deal could be closed at €3-4m, with Milan then ready to accelerate for a new deputy to Theo Hernandez.
Rade Krunic: Milan received a first offer for Krunic from Fenerbahçe, which was rejected. There are two certainties: the Turkish side will raise their bid and Krunic would accept a move there.
The Istanbul club made him a salary offer of between €3-3.5m per season, against the €1.5m he earns at Milan, a huge difference. At this point, a lot depends on the new offer that Fenerbahce made.
Yacine Adli: Adli doesn’t have a strong suitor yet but this is the week chosen to try understand if the interests of Eintracht Frankfurt, Ajax and beyond are real.
Divock Origi: Origi is the most delicate situation. The Belgian earns €4m net per season, and while has had some expressions of interest from Arab teams there are currently no offers.
Yesterday he trained a little with the team, a little alone and remains outside the plans waiting for a club.
Junior Messias: The winger is recovering from the muscle injury he sustained in Real Madrid-Milan. The right wing, with Chukwueze and Pulisic, is garrisoned territory.
Mattia Caldara: He returned from his loan at Spezia and did not go on tour with Milan. Verona have an interest but Milan have not received offers at the moment, and among the possible solutions for him there is also a surprising permanence.
Milan are looking for a fifth centre-back to replace Gabbia and it is not a given that they will sign a young player from abroad. Caldara could therefore remain, for squad list purposes too.
As far as squad lists are concerned, we will likely just promote a player from the Primavera (the LB, don’t recall his name, perhaps someone can remind me), and probably sign Calafiori as well. Whether Caldara leaves its immaterial.
I don’t think it will happen, but maybe in his second season Origi might get a bit better, with better players behind him. You never know. If he stays he needs to play a bit, otherwise no one will ever buy him, unless on a free – which actually is probably ok.