AC Milan are looking to strengthen a defence that has conceded not even a single goal in the last six games, and they have a few ideas in mind.
According to La Gazzetta dello Sport, the explosion of Pierre Kalulu in the last couple of months means he has now become much more than a simple back-up at right-back and centre-back. The centre of defence is a department that should and will be strengthened, but Maldini and Massara can now be a bit more relaxed in their choices.
After spending just under €30m to buy Fikayo Tomori permanently, Milan made it clear that they are willing to invest on the right profiles for the future and Sven Botman is the man they want as his long-term partner.
The 22-year-old Dutchman is currently at Lille would accept a salary below the €4m net per season, which is the internal salary cap which has been established for some time now. Simon Kjaer will return after his long-term injury, and having Tomori, Kalulu and Botman would allow him to come back into the fold at a totally natural pace.
Then, on the left side of the rearguard, if Fode Ballo-Toure were to leave after less than a year then one of Aaron Hickey from Bologna and Fabiano Parisi from Empoli could arrive. Both are young, with Serie A experience and more natural deputies to Theo Hernandez thanks to their attacking play.
In the right-back role, €4.5m is needed to keep Alessandro Florenzi and while he has had a good season and Stefano Pioli likes him, having a second knee surgery in the same season is not a good sign.
Keeping him and Matteo Gabbia – although he is not a starter – would help in the Serie A and UEFA squad list composition. Given the probable farewell of Alessio Romagnoli and the acquisition of a foreign defender, they must keep an eye on that.
