Matteo Gabbia is not enough as a reinforcement for the defence. AC Milan, therefore, are still in the market for a new centre-back. For Geoffrey Moncada, Giorgio Furlani and Antonio D'Ottavio, the number one target right now is Torino's Alessandro Buongiorno, the 24-year-old Italian team captain.
As per Calciomercato.com, contacts between the two clubs have already started. Torino, as is always the case when negotiating with Urbano Cairo, are asking for a high fee. The club does not intend to offer any discounts for the sale of their defender, who already said yes to Milan's advances.
In fact, the price tag is set at a fee beyond 35 million euros, as per the source. The Rossoneri's plan, however, is to reduce it by including the card of young Italian striker Lorenzo Colombo.
Milan is now also considering the permanent transfer of their striker, Colombo, who was sought in recent weeks by Cagliari and Genoa - not just a loan. This is a significant change, especially considering the trust that the club has always shown to Colombo, even with the contract renewal until 2028 preceding the move to Monza.
Due to the high regard the Rossoneri have for the young forward, the valuation is also high: 15-20 million euros is the minimum amount to consider a definitive farewell. This valuation does not coincide with Torino's valuation, not exceeding 10 million euros net of the approval for the player.
These are numbers that can be worked on, especially since a cash outlay of over 25 million euros is currently considered excessive by Milan, but there are two other knots to untangle.
Firstly, it is necessary to obtain Monza's approval for the early termination of Lorenzo Colombo's loan, who has played in 18 Serie A matches out of 18 with Raffaele Palladino, starting in 13 occasions with 3 goals and an assist. Regardless of the initial benching in the last two matches against Frosinone and Inter, the Milan youth sector graduate is always used in the team, and in the event of his inclusion in the Buongiorno operation, a solution must be found to avoid leaving the Brianza team uncovered. One option could be a new loan for Colombo until the end of the season; the other is the arrival of another forward, with Pietro Pellegri possibly coming from Torino. Monza's approval is needed, but it is also essential to convince Colombo to accept this type of solution.
Recently, Lorenzo Colombo made it clear that he would like a return to Milan to showcase his abilities for his parent club. He said these words:
"Returning to Milan? I have spent my whole life there; it would be the culmination of something I have been working towards for many years."
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