AC Milan have put Santiago Castro near the top of their summer wish list, but they face a battle to sign him from Bologna.
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According to Corriere dello Sport (via MilanNews), Castro’s name is one that is held in high regard by management, who have identified him as a potential candidate capable of adapting well to Massimiliano Allegri’s style of play and elevating the team’s attack.
Sky even said he is now the number one summer target. However, it will be far from easy to bring him to the club. In addition to fierce competition, there’s also Bologna’s firm stance, given that they do not want to see another centre-forward walk out of the door.
Obstacles to overcome
The paper claims that the Rossoblu see Castro as ‘unsellable’. Their CEO Claudio Fenucci, technical director Giovanni Sartori, sporting director Marco Di Vaio and even coach Vincenzo Italiano are in agreement that they want to keep him.
Firstly, they want to keep him because he’s an important asset for the manager, especially with next season in mind. Second, because the €10m investment in January 2024 could still yield further returns, as the player is already demonstrating significant growth this season.
Bologna wish to communicate this to Milan as well as to the other clubs that are interested in the Premier League and LaLiga. A possible hesitation could arise only if they receive a truly impossible-to-refuse offer, which is currently not expected.
Bologna are aware that several players are destined to receive significant offers this summer, like Orsolini, Dallinga, Freuler and Lucumì. Therefore, losing another player like Castro would detract too much from Italiano’s squad.