The AC Milan transfer market is proceeding, as they say, at a "slow burn." Yesterday marked one month since the start of negotiations, and the Rossoneri club has made two signings: striker Álvaro Morata and central defender Strahinja Pavlović. However, to complete Fonseca’s team, the Milan management knows that these two players alone won’t be enough, and they are working to finalize additions for two more crucial roles before the start of the season, specifically a right-back and a central midfielder.
The names Milan has identified for these two roles are now well known. For the right-back position, a specific request from Fonseca, the Rossoneri have set their sights on Emerson Royal, the Brazilian full-back from Tottenham. For the midfield, the dream is Youssouf Fofana, whose contract with Monaco is expiring. As the Gazzetta dello Sport recalls this morning, Milan has recently increased their offer for both players and is now waiting for responses from their respective clubs. Regarding Royal, today’s edition highlights that the gap between demand and offer is around 1 million euros, with Milan having approached the London club’s asking price (around 20 million) and hoping to overcome the stubborn resistance of the North London club. Spurs, for their part, do not need to sell and can afford to wait, trying to push the price as high as possible.
For the midfield, Milan has had its eye on Youssouf Fofana since before the European Championships in Germany. The French player is a favorite of Fonseca, who has identified him to strengthen the midfield and bring some balance to the Rossoneri’s tactical setup. However, Monaco is a tough negotiator, and the offer from West Ham has complicated matters. According to the newspaper mentioned above, there was a preliminary agreement between Milan and the French club for around 14 million plus bonuses, still to be fine-tuned. After the Hammers’ offer of 35 million, Monaco has decided to raise their demands towards Milan. The player himself is pushing to join Milan, and his club, where he has returned for the regular start of training, cannot hold out too long if they don’t want to lose him for free. Milan has made a slight move forward but certainly does not intend to spend 35 million for a player whose contract is expiring. The ball is once again in the court of the Monegasque club.
