AC Milan have one week to try and put the finishing touches on their squad, and they are trying to sign a striker from Paris Saint-Germain.
That is according to La Gazzetta dello Sport (seen below), the aim is to sign another centre-forward to make sure that Olivier Giroud – who will turn 37 years old at the end of September – will not have to work overtime each week.
Noah Okafor is a good alternative, but not a driving force. He has never reached double figures for goals in a league season, netting seven times in the Austrian Bundesliga last season, so Pioli wants some extra help.
Hugo Ekitike is on pole position. The 21-year-old has been at PSG for one season – in which he amassed 32 appearances and four goals – having cost €35m to sign from Stade de Reims.
Milan do not intend to try for a permanent deal, but to negotiate a loan with option to buy. The management are not interested in making it an obligation to buy, which would commit them to buying him permanently next year.
The middle ground is a paid loan with an option to buy, a solution that could make everyone happy. Ekitike himself could provide a first assist because he wants Milan, definitely more than Eintracht Frankfurt and West Ham, the other teams that have signed up for the race.
Ekitike is Milan’s first candidate and Milan are the first club on Ekitike’s personal list. Therefore, finding agreement over personal terms should not be a problem.
