If last week was used to wrap up the signing of Alvaro Morata from Atletico Madrid, this is the week where the Milan management are looking to make ground on not one but three deals.
As this morning’s edition of La Gazzetta dello Sport reports, this will be the ‘week of three attacks’. Milan will first try to get the Strahinja Pavlovic operation done, and then they can turn their attention to fixing the midfield department. The main objective is obvious: to reduce the 69 goals conceded (all comps) from last season.
Pavlovic chosen
Red Bull Salzburg originally wanted €30m for Pavlovic but their request has come down. Milan have offered €18m, the Austrian side want a bit more, but the feeling is that the deal could be done for around €20m.
Relations between the clubs are good and there is ample possibility that it will lead to the second deal in 12 months after the Noah Okafor operation. There is already an agreement on salary with Pavlovic worth €1.5m net per season for five years too, double what he currently earns.
The Serbian wants to prove himself at San Siro and in Serie A while Milan believe that the experience he has accrued, his margins for growth (at 23 years of age) and the fact he is left-footed make him the ideal candidate.
The other moves
With Pavlovic, Milan would fix the defence, after filling the other penalty box with Morata. Then it would be the turn of the midfield where there are two evolving situations, with new moves expected again this week: a phone call to Monaco for Youssouf Fofana and a meeting at the headquarters for Lazar Samardzic.
In addition to being targets, there is another fact that unites them: they both want Milan. Fofana, like Samardzic, already has an agreement over personal terms while Monaco expect an offer that satisfies their demand.
However, the Milan management are wanting to close the deal on their terms because Fofana’s contract expires in 2025 and it is easier to sign him for free in a year than to play for a higher price this summer.
Meanwhile, Samardzic’s father – who is also his agent – is expected at Casa Milan. Lazar is pushing to move to Milan and the offer to Udinese will again be €15m.
Why the hell would you wait a year to sign fofana when he’s cheap amazing and lots of teams want him if we will wait we’re no getting him 100%