AC Milan’s headline summer signing will be a new centre-forward, but the management are also planning to plug other gaps in the squad and they have a couple of targets lined up.
As this morning’s edition of La Gazzetta dello Sport (seen below) writes, Olivier Giroud will move to Los Angeles FC at the end of the season and thus they club want to invest in a new centre-forward. Benjamin Sesko is the target and talks have started, but Milan will also make additions in defence and midfield.
Help on the flank
Milan are looking at signing a new right-back to come in and challenge Davide Calabria for the starting spot and the number one target is Emerson Royal of Spurs, who is valued at around €30m.
The price is an obstacle, and whether it can be circumvented or not we will know in the coming weeks. He is no longer a key player for Tottenham and in the summer, with the mercato underway, the valuation could drop and facilitate negotiations with other clubs.
Emerson, or whoever instead of him, would arrive to bolster the right side of the defence and as mentioned would join Calabria, who appears set to stay even if there are rumours of difficulties regarding his renewal.
Over on the left side everything is influenced by Theo Hernandez’s future. If there are problems with his renewal and if Bayern Munich come forward with a suitable proposal, Milan could listen.
In the middle
In midfield, Milan have outlined the profile of the ideal reinforcement: a physical midfielder to be placed to protect the defence. Now it’s a matter of finding a player who respects the technical identikit and who falls within the parameters also in terms of spending and wages.
The first target on the list is Youssouf Fofana, 25, a leader of Monaco’s midfield. He has a valuation that exceeds €25m, and Milan will have to understand what percentage of the budget they can, and will, allocate to the department.
Fofana is a guarantee: he has been at Monaco for years, this year amassing three goals and four assists. In recent months he has also become a starter in the French national team with three goals in 17 appearances.
The European Championship is an opportunity for him to put himself in the shop window and many other clubs could come forward. The same goes for Benjamin Sesko, which is why Milan are in a hurry.