The most urgent target, also because it's the one that has been followed the longest, is Strahinja Pavlovic. The central defender, born in 2001, plays for Salzburg, from whom Milan quickly acquired Noah Okafor last year.
This negotiation is much slower since the player is contractually tied to the Austrians until 2027, and thus, the club's initial demand is high. The Red Bull team is asking for 30 million euros, but Milan is confident they can close the deal for around 20-22 million euros in total. On their side, the Rossoneri have Pavlovic's willingness, having already reached an agreement on salary and contract duration: around 1.4 million euros for the next five years. For Milan, the Serbian would be an important asset: he is a large and tall central defender (194 centimeters). Additionally, he uses his left foot, which would be unique in Paulo Fonseca's squad. Significant developments are expected next week.
Lazar Samardzic is seen more as an opportunity to be seized. The midfielder, after three years in Udine and two failed transfers to Inter and Napoli, is now on the Rossoneri's radar. For the midfield, Milan has long targeted Youssouf Fofana, for whom they need to reach an agreement with Monaco after agreeing with the player. The Rossoneri have allocated 15 million euros for the French player's transfer fee, but Monaco has different ideas and is asking for about 10 million euros more.
Therefore, the Diavolo might decide to allocate the same amount to the Samardzic deal, even though the two players are different. Next week will be crucial on this front as well, with the player's father-agent, who previously blocked the transfer to Inter when his son was already in Milan, visiting Casa Milan.
Source: La Gazzetta dello Sport
