Fikayo Tomori has revealed that he was ‘flattered’ to hear that Paolo Maldini and AC Milan had expressed an interest in signing him from Chelsea.
Tomori arrived on an initial loan deal from Chelsea in January of this year and an option to buy was included as part of the operation. Although some were initially sceptical about the impact he would have, the Englishman has now established himself as an immovable member of the first choice XI.
Subsequently, exercising the option to buy became a no-brainer for the management and the player himself seems to have settled into life in Italy perfectly. He is a modern and aggressive defender who has already become a fan favourite, with the hope being that he will be around for many years to come.
Tomori granted an interview to the magazine FourFourTwo, who in their latest edition have published a feature about the resurgence of Milan over the last 18 months.
How did you hear about Milan’s interest in you last season, and what were your initial thoughts? Surprised?
“When I first heard that they wanted me, I was very happy. My agent told me that Paolo Maldini had got in touch and asked if I’d be interested, and of course I was – I wasn’t surprised, I was more flattered! I was excited to come.”
What’s it like to be part of this exciting new era at Milan?
“Everyone knows that Milan were and still are a massive club with massive history – they’ve won seven European Cup and Champions League titles before, which is the second-most of any team in history.
“Now I think there’s a rebuild going on – we’ve got a young squad but also plenty of experienced players who’ve won titles and played in the Champions League. It’s been a while since Milan have been there, so for us to be back and me being part of the team is huge. The atmosphere is excellent and everyone is looking forward to showing what we can do this season.”
What has the manager said he wants from you? What’s he like?
“He wants me to be aggressive and helps me in my positioning, and tells me what he wants from me on the ball. He’s been really good. He tries to speak English to me when he can, but now my Italian is improving which helps!”
How are those lessons going?
“Actually pretty well – I understand basically everything now. Some words can be more challenging, but the next stage is trying to speak like I do in my own language…”
