AC Milan have two priorities on the market but they consider the potential signing of Hakim Ziyech to be the ‘icing on the cake’, a report claims.
According to Calciomercato.com, Paolo Maldini and Ricky Massara are working to give Stefano Pioli a new centre-back and a new central midfielder as soon as possible in order to build a team that can compete in all competitions.
However, that does not rule out a late move for Ziyech. The 29-year-old Moroccan was one of the first names identified by Maldini and Massara as an option raise the quality of the attack, and the arrival of Charles De Ketelaere does not exclude the signing of the Chelsea outcast.
While it does not rule out Ziyech joining, it does condition the formula via which he could arrive. The former Ajax man immediately gave his approval to a possible transfer to Milan and would also be willing to reduce his current salary from over €6m net per season.
After the large investment for De Ketelaere, the Rossoneri can only offer Chelsea a loan with option to buy, while the London club want an obligation to redeem, a condition that Milan cannot satisfy.
If the distance between Milan and Chelsea on the transfer formula is to be bridged, it is likely to happen in the last days of the transfer market, when the Rossoneri management hope that the Blues will open to a loan with option. The player meanwhile is waiting, eager to know his future.