The final days of July have arrived and AC Milan have still made just one signing, securing Alvaro Morata, with a lot more needed before the start of the season. Today’s edition of Gazzetta dello Sport has taken stock of the situation as a whole.
As highlighted by the pink newspaper (see photo below), Giorgio Furlani has made it clear time after time that Milan won’t rush their business on the mercato. The targets, or at least the profiles they are after, are clear and they will work accordingly.
Heart of the defence
Strahinja Pavlovic appears to be just one step away from Milan and, at the same time, Milan have informed Newcastle of Malick Thiaw’s €40m. These two deals don’t hinge on each other, it should be noted, but it would be easier for the Rossoneri to let the German go with the Serbian arriving.
Newcastle had an offer of €30m in mind but it’s very likely that they will increase their offer, perhaps getting a small discount. In the talks with RB Salzburg, the distance between offer and demand has been significantly reduced, with an agreement in sight at the beginning of next week.
The transfer fee should end up being between €20-22m with bonuses included. The strong will of the player was decisive in unlocking the negotiations as he rejected a serious approach from Atletico Madrid recently.
Midfield evaluations ongoing
Atletico Madrid didn’t stop there, though, as they also have joined Milan in the race for Youssouf Fofana. An agreement has already been reached with the player, by the Rossoneri, but the problem remains the high asking price of Monaco.
Fofana is getting anxious and wants to know his destiny in the coming days, with the promise to Milan perhaps wearing off. As such, the Rossoneri have widened their scope by looking at some other targets as well, including Real Betis’ Johnny Cardoso who is valued at €20m.
If one of Yacine Adli and Ismael Bennacer were to leave as well, then Milan would add an attacking midfielder. Lazar Samardzic of Udinese is the key target as talks are ongoing with his entourage and the Fruili side.
Full-back situation heats up
Emerson Royal is getting closer to Milan after the links came back to life in recent days, with an opening from Tottenham seemingly emerging. If Thiaw were to leave (just like Jan-Carlo Simic), Pierre Kalulu would be more of a centre-back option than a full-back.
A reinforcement could thus be needed for the right-back spot and Milan appreciate the Brazilian a lot, even if there is no agreement with Spurs yet. Having said that, the player is very keen on the move and the transfer window is long.
