Victor Boniface should soon become AC Milan’s new striker, and it is thanks to the quick work of sporting director Igli Tare.
Corriere dello Sport confirm that Boniface has emerged from the list of targets to become the chosen one. He should soon sign loan with an option to buy, for a total package of approximately €30m. The entire fee will be paid in a year, once concrete analyses of the player’s fitness and performance are done.
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Why Boniface?
The Nigerian striker actually has a past when it comes to Milan. He came on in the 90th minute of the Europa League qualifier between Milan and Bodo/Glimt back in 2020, the same game Jens Petter Hauge shone in and was signed.
Boniface, on the other hand, took a little longer to show his true worth, but unlike his former Norwegian teammate his rise hasn’t slowed. He scored 23 goals in 66 appearances for Bodo/Glimt before moving to Union Saint-Gilloise, where he astonished everyone with 17 goals in 51 games.
He demonstrated impressive performances in Europe too, earning the Europa League top scorer title with six goals in the tournament Sevilla won on penalties against Roma. Xabi Alonso’s Bayer Leverkusen noticed him and decided to make him the striker for their ambitious project.
Boniface didn’t disappoint, scoring 32 goals in 61 matches, so every other game. He won a Bundesliga, a German Super Cup, and a German Cup. He also scored against Milan in the Champions League on October 1st, with Boniface netting the winner.
He is tall, with powerful athleticism, speed and technique. Milan saw his threat in the aforementioned Champions League match: in that game, Boniface was a real threat to Tomori in particular. However, there is a weak point.
Boniface had two cruciate ligament ruptures in 2018-19 and 2020-21, and a whole series of muscular problems that have forced him to miss more than 30 games in the last two seasons (only 12 appearances and three goals in 2025).
There is his participation in the Africa Cup of Nations between December and January to consider too, despite previous disagreements with coach Chelle. For Tare, all things considered, the risk is worth it though.
The deal’s formula allows the Rossoneri to assess the player’s fitness without immediately breaking the bank. This would have been necessary to bring Rasmus Hojlund or Dusan Vlahovic to Milan: the Dane only wants to leave permanently, while the Serb wants a big salary. Victor is the victor, therefore.
Great. 0 risk deal, if it was permanent right away I would be very against it.
Agreed. Loan move is the intelligent way to go. A lot of upside is very clear here and yet if his injuries persist, then you dump him next summer and continue your search.
Now something tells me they will also still try to bring Vlaho in and by some random miracle if both the Nigerian and the Serb work out, then someone will need to be cut next summer either way between the three of them.
Vlahovic is on the cards for next season on a free transfer. 100%. If Boniface does good that may be cancelled, but if not I’m sure they will try for him.
I absolutely need your crystal ball. I can then go buy lotto tickets and become a gazillionaire.
Oh apologies you said right now, I thought you said next season. I actually think that the plan is to sign him next summer for 0. Or January for 10ish M€ if it will be necessary.
I definitely think they will stretch this out until the last week/days of mercato with Juve growing more desperate to offload by the day. I think Tare realizes this.
As for a free transfer, something tells me The Serb’s entourage will ask for a ridiculous sign on bonus. If Tare plays it right, he could swoop in for under 20mil towards the end of the window.
We’ll see I guess.
I think it would be a similar amount to the fee paid to Juventus but we wouldn’t pay Juventus a single € and they would spend more money on his wages. Not that Tare is planning based on that but it seems like a nice bonus. Boniface really looks like a great stop-gap solution and can be returned to Leverkusen next summer if he isn’t great.
The fact that Leverkusen are ready to loan him out with an option to buy for only 30 mln shows that he comes with a considerable risk for failure. That being said, Milan will just pay the loan fee before deciding on whether to buy or not, so it is not a big gamble.
Can you elaborate a bit more ?
This summer, Leverkusen let go of their coach who helped them win their first Bundesliga ever, Wirtz, Frimpong, Adli, Xhaka,… and despite player like Tillman and Quansah are still on a net positive of more than 110M€.
For me it seems that the project they started with Alonso is over and that now is the time to cash in on some players.
I might be missing something, but they don’t seem desperate or anything.
He was their main striker for the last 2 seasons, and now they are ready to loan him out even without an obligation to buy. The option is just 30 mln, clearly below the value his technical skills offer. Maybe Leverkusen see big fitness issues with him and that he is on decline, so they are willing to discount him to anyone willing to pay for him.
However, it might be as you say that the reason why they want to move on from him is the new choach’s preferences and playing style. But it is a curious case though as last summer Leverkusen were said to demand 60 mln for him; cash on hand, no loans and discounts.
Quit with the maybe’s. Sometimes good players come cheap. The market is not fixed.
Many good players left leverkusen this window.
Many good players left Leverkusen this summer, but not at a discount with option to buy. He is a striker with a good skillset and goalscoring abilities who can score 20+ goals with good service, but the question is his fitness. However, since it is a loan, Milan don’t really lose anything from trying him to see if he is worth the money or not.
Exactly..Reijnders was sold cheap as well
So what? Tare is good at getting great deals. An inter fan complaining about who is getting a discount, meanwhile their own team gets ripped off for flop after flop. Go worry about your own team’s bad finances.
If Tare is great at getting discounts on everything, why is it a concern for you? Also, Boniface most likely only wants Milan.
The buy option only 24m euro. If he is fit and score many goal then it is very good deal, if he got injury or flop just return him to leverkusen ( ACM only loss 5m euro to pay loan fee) . Not big gamble, this can also make another striker budget probably harder
I don’t think any club in their right mind will buy him outright because of his injury record. Loan with an option is the only way he moves anywhere and the Germans must realize that.
They see m to be offloading talent across the board though.
Leverkusen-focused sites say that Leverkusen tried to sell him in January too, because of his injury record, competition from Schick and a new guy, and behavioural issues.
Since it is a loan with option, it is a good deal. Tare has done some nice moves during the summer.
But the loan fee is high. 5 mill. I expect him to be bought next season no matter what happens, and the sold if he fails.
Low risk deal makes sense.
Though the fact Leverkusen were willing to do that and the player was willing to go to a club on loan with option, screams desperation from both club and player. Add to that he wont have CL football.
I’d expect he will miss large chunks of the season, how much will determine the decision next summer
“Though the fact Leverkusen were willing to do that and the player was willing to go to a club on loan with option, screams desperation from both club and player.”
Indeed, there is something behind the scenes. Last summer Leverkusen were reported to demand 60 mln for him. Either he is physically done and has serious fitness issues or ten Haag picked a fight with him. lol
No it doesn’t. The player only wants Milan, and Boniface has a very strong scoring record. He’s not physically done. Far from it. In the second half of this prior season he has been. He’s been in great fitness since February without any issue.
Some definition of physically done.
But it’s interesting we have an Inter fan here telling us who is broken or not, when your team has a recent history of signing broken players at inflated fees.
Stop getting so triggered, you look embarrassing
Best decision at the moment, big shout out to napoli which is going for rasmus… 😂🫶🏽♥️🖤
Lets not get cocky. Boniface may be injured all year and Rasmus could do well. Time will tell
that being said, its a loan fee with option to buy, so if Boniface flops we only lost is salary and the loan fee. If Hojlund flops Napoli lose the loan fee, his salary and 45 million. Even if they sell him they won’t make their money back (cause no one is going to buy a super flop for 60 million). The risk is much higher for them for a player that has never been amazing.
There was no talk of guaranteed obligations for Hojlund, not even in Milan offer. But if he scores 15 goals the transfer becomes permanent or something similar. So what you wrote is untrue.
Not many players flop under Conte…
Without cl. He could do better and better weather down south than Germany…one year only. Will score more than the others for sure…better weather down south in italy and no cl for him…less stress amd only for one year. I think he will score more than rasmus and the others…best choice…
Good player and better signing than Hojland. Injury concern is mitigate by loan to buy option. Big powerful physical striker so he fits the profile. Would be nice if we signed a CAM like kaka again. Wishful thinking but a player like Nico Paz would be great for Allegri system.
Haven’t seen a CAM like Kaka in ages.
There’s no 10 anymore in modern football, I’d go for Lookman in a swap deal with musah with cash tho
… and field him where? He play’s Leao’s position. Not to mention Atalanta won’t sell him in Italy. Otherwise he’d already be at Inter.
Kaka was the one and only
Nico Paz …
He is really good but not Kaka type of player. I can’t remember a single tall player with such technique, speed, vision and shot on CAM.
He’s not Kaka yet. With so much time and upside he can definitely get there.
I don’t see that. I mean maybe he can become a player of Kaka level, he is super talented. I just don’t see Kaka in him, play-style wise.
Two cruciate ligament tears are no joke. Even if we have the hedge of a loan with an option, he might very well make it through the season, and do well enough to convince us to pull the trigger on the 30M only to have him tear another ligament at the beginning of 2026-27. Let’s see how it goes, but maybe sending him back to Leverkusen at the end of the season regardless will be the right call. Then we can focus on a top striker, having worked on basically the rest of the squad this summer.
Camarda will be one to watch, now that Krstovic is gone, he will see more time. If he scores 10+ goals at Lecce, I think he should be brought back and entrusted with the no. 9 role, with a veteran backing him up.
Vlahovic for 0€ next summer. Tare is looking for bargains. I am quite positive that is part if the equation.
Interesting you’re bringing up two ACLs early in his career. That was 5 years ago. He moved pass that.
Camarda is a fraudster.
Camarda is a fraudster?
Congratulations on winning dumbest comment of the summer
“ Boniface had two cruciate ligament ruptures in 2018-19 and 2020-21, and a whole series of muscular problems that have forced him to miss more than 30 games in the last two seasons (only 12 appearances and three goals in 2025).
There is his participation in the Africa Cup of Nations between December and January to consider too, despite previous disagreements with coach Chelle. For Tare, all things considered, the risk is worth it though.”
Solid deal ON LOAN with NO obligation – BUT – issue is will he stay healthy AND we lose him for a month to the African Cup. So we definitely need another striker as he doesn’t offer any guarantees yet. If he pans out and stays healthy great would be a solid signing. But we should prepare that he won’t and we should be getting another striker like Vlahovic (assuming he lowers his salary)
Nothing to be happy 2 days before the start of the season – the reality is that we are poorly equipped with strikers..
Inter, Juventus, Bologna and Fiorentina are way above us..
He’s not crippled for God’s sake.
What’s with the pessimism.
I don’t see any desperation anywhere.
He missed 702 days due to injury. He is 24. Completely out for 2 years before turning 25.
Ruben Loftus Cheek at his age – 522 total days out due to injury. And somehow RLC was labeled injury prone and Boniface isn’t?
Facts aren’t pessimism.
He’s been entirely fit since February of this year and has seemingly moved pass fitness concerns… yet we have the peanut gallery here, including a lost Inter fan, complaining about his fitness.
First of all, it’s 24 M option to buy, not 30. Sure, he’s injury-prone but we play once a week; he might be fine, and his ligament issues happened five years ago.
People wonder why Leverkusen wanted to get rid of him at a discount. What I read is that Leverkusen leaders are very conservative and extremely turned off by Boniface’s antics on and off the field. On the field he had goal celebrations where he pulled down his shorts; the Leverkusen leaders got scandalized. He got involved in fights with teammates. Off the field he was caught driving at 140 km per hour while speaking on his phone. There were other behavioral incidents. So, the Leverkusen leaders wanted to get rid of him regardless of fitness vs injuries.
I’m not that worried about this because Allegri is a good disciplinarian. Just recently Jimenez was late to training 3 times and Allegri told him that if he repeats it, he’s out of the first team and will have to play for Futuro in Serie D. I’m sure Allegri will tell Boniface, “behave, cut the crap, or you will be returned to Leverkusen at the end of the season.”
Loan with option is a low-risk deal. I’m happy with this signing. I don’t want entitled Vlahovic earning more than all the players who have put a lot of effort into playing for Milan. And I don’t want Hojlund who never wanted to come play for us. We don’t need a player who has no respect for Milan’s history and disdains an offer from us.
I just hope they don’t ship out Gimenez for the unproven Harder. I think we need to give Gimenez more time to adapt to Serie A and shine. Getting rid of him after only 6 months is not fair. I prefer to see Gimenez and Boniface as our strikers, not Boniface and Harder.
Remember, we just need one year with one of these guys. Next season Camarda will be back, likely more than ready to play for the first team.
Ridiculous article and comments full of speculation and what ifs! Boniface will do his talking on the pitch. Thats where I will judge him. All this media hoopla and injury nonsense talk is just that…nonsense!
Please don’t full us that because the price is low E30m , sometimes high cost does not really matter .Remember Manchester city and JACK GREALISH. JUST WAIT AND SEE. THE SLUGGISH ONE VLAHOVIC REFUSES TO LOWER WAGES WHILE RASMUS HOIJLUND PROFILES WITH ATALANTA AND MANCHESTER UNITED IS LOW COMPARED TO BONIFACE. LET’S JUST WAIT AND SEE. THOUGH, CRITICISM MAKES CORRECTION WORK ON TIME.
THANKS.