Despite the fact that we are now less than two weeks away from the start of the season, AC Milan are still seemingly not close to getting the defensive midfielder that Paulo Fonseca needs, namely Youssouf Fofana.
As Antonio Vitiello writes in his latest update column for MilanNews, the purchase of a new midfielder was a priority and should have perhaps even been the first signing to arrive, but ‘something went wrong’.
The negotiations with Monaco for Fofana have proven ‘more complicated than expected’ and now these are ‘decisive days’. The management must choose whether to take a risk and continue, or break the deadlock and switch to another target.
As has been extensively reported, Fofana already has an agreement with the Rossoneri over personal terms, but negotiations with Monaco ‘have been going on for over a month’ without reaching an agreement.
The directors will have to raise their bid to around €20m plus bonuses and hope that Monaco can accept, because Giorgio Furlani and Geoffrey Moncada will ‘certainly not spend €35m’ for a player whose contract expires in less than a year.
The feeling is that Milan’s strategy is to ‘wait until the final part of the mercato‘ to get Monaco’s green light at lower figures. There are still 25 days available to close the operation positively, but the start of the season is drawing closer.
20 million is a fair and reasonable offer. West Ham has pulled out of the race. No one else seems serious, primarily because the player really only wants us.
The offer is fair. If he doesn’t go this summer for that price, it will be half that in the winter or free next summer.
I don’t know what the issue is with Monaco. Nobody is going to pay 35 million for him. And the one that was, was refused by the player.
Also, on the other hand… waiting that long for an objective carries risk. Hopefully we have a backup identified.
I’m starting to have issues with this line of reasoning. Everyone seems to argue that Monaco is stubborn, that they’re gonna lose the player for free,..
I don’t care about Monaco, I only care about AC Milan, if we don’t get a DM by the end of the summer, we’re gonna be in trouble. I don’t understand how can we call it a “win” if Fofana isn’t sold by the end of the summer while we still don’t have a DM. Also, even if we get him by the end of August, then congratulations, the new starter in the midfield didn’t take in a single preparation.
So if you think 20M€ is the ceiling we should go for, then it’s about time for the management to aim for an other DM.
Monaco’s sporting director said that they had an agreement last summer with Fofana that they would let him go this summer for the right price. Their right price, not some outrageous offer. Monaco’s sporting director also said they’re fine losing him for free next summer, as it happens a lot in modern football.
I strongly agree, why waste time on a transfer that looks impossible from what monaco are demanding when there are other affordable alternatives that are as good as fofana.
Yes indeed.
If they are not accepting 20m we should move to target B (assuming there is one).
Unfortunately experienced players that are not expensive like Hojbjerg and Amrabat are gone.
DM and Striker were the 2 priorities, we should have had them identified months ago and signed weeks ago.
Fofana nije DM. Musa ide na poziciju sestice.
Genius tactics!
Wait for someone else to swoop in and the alternatives have all gone elsewhere
Last day offer should be 15-20M not 20+. Fu*ked em
This might be necessary to save money on the right player, but we’ve seen time and again the last few years the players who arrive at the end of the window struggling to get up to pace with the team – Musah and Chukwueze last year, CDK, Tonali, etc. Perhaps that was Pioli’s system and Fonseca won’t have the same issue, but it sure reduces the opportunity they have.
Time to move on. Players need time to integrate into a new squad and new tactics. If Fofana, is a no go, find the replacement. And not another mezzala.
I got a horrible feeling man united will end up buying him
Why we not at start accept 20m what Monaco ask? So i not blame nobody exept owners,they dont want spent nothing from hic pockets at club.
Monaco already deal with man united, man united is trying to offload some of their midfielders after that they want to sign ugarte and fofana both
This assumes Monaco has to sell….but they don’t
If Monaco DS is intelligent they have to NOT lose money where there’s money to be made. It’s tough out there for Russian billionaires these days …
Or the smart move might be to keep him for their needs. Maybe the technical quality lost is greater than 20m or 14m depending on how low our offer is
More like they’re assuming it’s a “win” for us if we don’t get a DM by the end of the summer because Monaco didn’t sell Fofana.