Koni De Winter might not be the only centre-back signing AC Milan make, because there are reports of interest in Leicester’s Caleb Okoli.
Malick Thiaw has been sold to Newcastle United but has already been replaced by Koni De Winter, who will arrive from Genoa for €20m including bonuses having undergone his medical on Tuesday afternoon.
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However, in pre-season the head coach Massimiliano Allegri has been playing with a three-man defence. This means that – in addition to Fikayo Tomori, Matteo Gabbia and Strahinja Pavlovic (plus De Winter) – a fifth option could be needed.
Okoli on the radar
As reported by Tuttosport (via Calciomercato.com), some signs have emerged that Milan are keen on signing Caleb Okoli. The Italian is under contract until June 2029 with Leicester, who acquired him from Atalanta last year for €14m plus €2.5m in bonuses after a season on loan at Frosinone.
In his first season in England, Okoli made 24 appearances, scoring a headed goal in a 2-2 Premier League draw at Brighton on April 12. His interests are being handled by the same agency as AC Milan midfielder Samuele Ricci, who arrived from Torino this summer.
Okoli represents a less expensive and more viable alternative to youngsters Giovanni Leoni of Parma (in talks with Liverpool) and Pietro Comuzzo, considered unsellable by Fiorentina at least for this summer: both are valued at around €40m.
According to Nicolo Schira, Milan are still interested in Okoli and are ready to open talks with Leicester next week. The centre-back has already given his availability to join Milan, on a contract until 2030 with a salary around €1.8-2m net per year.
Coppola was there just for 10M, lmao…
Called it when mercato opened but some brainiacs here laughed it off. Now we’re looking at fringe Italians again for regulations sake.
It doesn’t have to be Italian. De Winter fill the regulation because he had been playing for at least 3 full seasons in Italian league while being U21.
coppola sucks
you are from the states… your opinion about football is the same as your opinion about politics…
This is banter era level defence right here not gonna lie. We need the midfielders & forwards to do double duty and carry the team.
Allegri will have them defending with their backs to goal, not chasing shadows like last season. We don’t necessarily need world beaters at CB. Just players who understand the assignment.
I don’t remember him being anything special, but he’s Italian at least.
He’s solid, but nothing spectacular. Still a solid option. And it’s clear they aren’t convinced with Tomori if we do sign him.
Are you convinced with Tomori?
Tomori was the disaster in the Chelsea whopping of Milan the other day.
It’s not about being convinced with Tomori, it’s about having 5 CBs for s 3 CB formation. Sell one for 40M, bring in two for ~20M. 2 for 1 deal, that’s how it’s done. I thought of Okoli as an interesting prospect the year he was on loan at Frosinone. So now we sold Thiaw and brought in a CB that is qualitatively equal, and might bring in another that is about the same as well, increasing depth and potentially losing nothing qualitatively.
Bring him please. He is best Italian deffender
Italian? LOL. That means he’s not coming then.
Last season did him no favours – Leicester were an absolute shambles (my father in law supports them so I had to endure more of them than I was happy with). He should have stayed in Italy – I remember him being probably the best player on the pitch against us a couple of years back.
He’s a good price, he’s quick, strong and good in the tackle. I say why not. If we get him, then we will have spent the Thiaw money on an upgrade in De Winter (in my opinion) and solid cover who might surprise us in Okoli.
I’m stupid enough to have been visiting this site for long enough to remember those scoffing at us nearly signing Calafiori, then ranting a year later that we passed on Calafiori 🙄.
Why are we hating on him. 24 year old CB, former Italian youth international with epl and Serie a experience. Buying him as rotation player for depth. If he does well he can compete for starting spot, if not at that age he can still improve. Leicester went down but the had a solid team a few years ago. Im liking our opportunists deals.
Leicester has an interesting LB. Let’s hope Estupiñán ends up being a good signing, i think he has been good at Brighton, but Leicester has Victor Kristiansen, who btw played one season loan at Bologna, and seems a promising player. They also have Bilal El Khannouss, but at the moment it seems Milan won’t be needing attacking midfielders like in the last seasons.
Not opposed to Okoli if the price is right, although i think what Milan should consider is selling Tomori (has beed performing bad for at least 2 years now) and bringing in an experienced/ veteran CB.
We need the depth. seems like a good fit.