AC Milan will now turn their efforts towards the signing of a new central midfielder and there are two names that stand out above all, a report claims.
La Gazzetta dello Sport report that the current options of Sandro Tonali, Ismael Bennacer, Tommaso Pobega (currently out with a muscle problem), Tiemoue Bakayoko (whose two-year loan could be ended early) and Marco Brescianini (on his way out) are not deemed to be enough.
A replacement for Franck Kessie is needed and Renato Sanches is the number one target. The operation was moving smoothly until Paris Saint-Germain decided to enter the running and complicate things given their economic power, ambitions and also the fact Christophe Galtier and Luis Campos – the head coach and sporting director during Lille’s 2020-21 Ligue 1 title win – are there.
However, PSG have not yet delivered a formal offer for him to Lille, and therefore Milan have not lost hope. The Portugal international will have to lower his salary demands which have twice been raised, but Lille have said yes to the €12m bid Milan tabled.
There is an alternative in mind: 18-year-old Aston Villa talent Carney Chukwuemeka. He has a price tag of €20m but in a year his contract will expire so that valuation could lower as the window goes on. He would ask for much less in terms of salary compared to Sanches but, rather predictably, PSG (and Barcelona) also want him.
Renato Sanches should be the obvious choice.
He brings immediate contribution, which Milan needs. Chukwuemeka is only 18, a great talent but he barely has any first team minutes and is going to a new country.
Pioli will love Renato Sanches (IF he stays healthy).
He brings qualities that none of our other midfielders have. Tonali and Bennacer are great in the defensive phase but their passing and chance creating isn’t up to par. Renato might not be as good as them defensively but his ability to get out of tight places, beat his man, create advantage in numbers is elite. And his speed carrying the ball forward would be perfect for Milan counter attacking style.
I’ve wanted him at Milan since Mirabelli almost signed him in 2017. Hopefully happens this summer
But sanches wants PSG. Age doesn’t matter much, for just 1good season we call Leao and Tonali the Best in italy. Also being played in better league, he(chukwuemeka) can easily fits our game and our club policies. No guarantee that Sanches plays 40matches in season.
We already have Tonali,Ismael, Krunic,Bakayoko,pobega even if chukwuemeka doesn’t play well. He can become our academy product too being just 18
Sanches wants more money. If he doesn’t want Milan, Maldini isn’t going to keep pushing for him.
It doesn’t matter what league Chukwuemeka comes from when he barely played. Plus he is more expensive, because he comes from EPL and Milan can sign him for free next summer.
And let’s be honest here after Tonali and Bennacer, in midfield Milan just have bodies. None of Pobega, Bakayoko or Krunic are going to move the needle and change a game. They are just utility players.
Yes Renato has bad history with his fitness, but when healthy he is a game changer
Well said @Coco. If we offer Sanches more salary (3.2M vs 4.5M) I’m sure he would come. He said yes in January we just couldn’t agree on a fee w Lille. Hard to get a starting caliber player w/ CL experience in his prime (24) for only 15M. Great opportunity. However the fact that M&M aren’t increasing the salary offer from the reported 3.2M to match the 4.5M PSG is offering is interesting. Perhaps they don’t believe PSG is a viable threat right now. However if PSG eventually offload Wynjadum (Roma) Parades (Juve) and Guyere (Everton) – then they should be back in the market for a mid and hence Sanches. Carney seems like a great talent for the future and I hope we get him but hard to see us spending 20M for a 18yr old when we can sign him for a nominal fee in January. I would hold out for Sanches if I were M&M as well but perhaps increase our offer to at least 4M to tempt him to sign. I wouldn’t want to rely on Poegba Krunic and Baka as our backups for an entire season. Poegba is still young and although shows tons of promise it’s putting added pressure on him to deliver straight away. We all know Baka is not up to par and loan may be terminated (he should consider a move to CB (or as a ball boy) to revive his career imo LOL) – and Krunic is a great utility player and fill-in CAM but I’d hate to rely on him as a starter for long period of time in the event Tonali or Benny get injured. Let’s see what happens. Pretty funny that the same fans that said we should be patient with CDK and M&M know what they doing (even if fee ended up being 35M after all) are the same who are screaming at M&M to abandon Sanches and move on. Sanches will come and work his a$$ off – but no player wants to make 1.3M less per season. So of course he’s waiting it out. Like I said He agreed to come to Milan in Janaury. Seems like Mendez is playing his games again. Can’t wait for the Leao negotiation. Should be fun lol.
JIRO you simply said it all, do not mind these blind fans who are thrilled by preseason matches…..pobega, bakayoko and krunic are not quantity and no quality.
Sanchez after one season at Milan might even be sold for 50m, dude got what it takes and 3.2m is not fair at all, atleast 4m. These players are humans and also needs to be appreciated. Milan always acting childish in transfers like FFP was created only for them, this was how we missed Dybala just to keep Diaz, now they wanna miss out on Sanchez to keep bakayoko
Please Abdul remove bakayoko, pobega and krunic from there, we need quality and not quantity
Sanches is not the right person for one of the pivot, he is not too good defensively. The players you are suggesting to remove are capable defensively.
Plus Pobega is club-homegrown. Right now Milan can only register 23 out of 27 players in UCL squad. Losing Pobega means Milan can only register 22. Just by suggesting to remove Pobega, you prove that you don’t understand football and just speaking nonsense.
Sanchez deserve to be paid at least 4m, 3.2m is freaking low, the dude is 24 and next 5 years, he will be 29 and will settle for a lesser salary which ain’t good for anyone…….putting myself in his shoes, I will not take 3.2m to abandon 4.5m at 24.
Milan are always acting strict with every transfers, Maldini is meeting up with mendes, probably to raise the salary.
Sanchez is better than what we got and will be a massive addition. Pay the dude
Maldini has player representated by Mendes which is Leao, so meeting Mendes is normal, not necessarily for Sanches.
If Sanches is more concerned by money, he is not worthy of wearing Milan jersey. If Sanches care about Milan, he should tell Mendes to lower the salary demand.
I think we have a lot more options attack-wise than last year and also all the attack from last year (minus Ibra) which means that they are all more in sync with each other and the coach.
Personally, I consider the midfield as solid and the place to invest only if a big opportunity arises (Carney might be maybe depending on total cost?)… not sure if Sanches is or if he’s being kept around only from “journalists” so that they have something to write about and Mendes to make him more desirable.
PSG is not ready to sign sanches, they are just. If they are, they would have since. I guess their claim is just a ruse to make us to succumb to sanches hight salary demand.
PSG need to offload 3 midfeilders, on e widjnaldum, GANA, parades are off, Sanchez will be bought immediately
Psg offload wijnaldum to rome and gueye to everton . They will renato as soon as both official signed by AS Rome & Everton. We must move on and find another target or we trust pobega