Massimiliano Allegri speaks every day with AC Milan sporting director Igli Tare about what Milan is missing to redeem last season’s disappointing campaign. In midfield, for example, according to the coach from Livorno, what’s needed is balance and character, and for this reason, he has tested the waters with his protégé Adrian Rabiot, his former player at Juventus who now plays for Marseille. The Frenchman is very attached to his former coach, but also very intrigued by the possibility of playing in the Champions League with his current team.
Milan looks for leadership in the locker room...
But Rabiot is not the only name on Tare and Allegri’s list. At the top of this list is also Granit Xhaka, the 1992-born midfielder from Bayer Leverkusen nicknamed “Xhakaboom” for his long-range thunderous shots. This was reported this morning by La Gazzetta dello Sport, which explains that the Swiss player is especially known for his leadership in the middle of the pitch, and that is perhaps the quality most appreciated and sought after at the Rossoneri's club headquarters. In the past few hours, Xhaka has opened the door to a departure from Bayer Leverkusen this summer:
"I feel good in Germany, but I already went through a similar revolution at Arsenal in 2019: back then I was young, today I don't know if I have the same energy to endure it. We’ve lost key players. The club has capable directors and hopefully they can keep the team at a high level, with or without me. There are leagues I haven’t played in yet, and of course, I think about them. I’m not saying I will definitely move — I have other things on my mind right now, and at most that’s something for my agent and my family to think about."
How much would Granit Xhaka cost in terms of transfer fee and salary?
Xhaka has a contract with Bayer Leverkusen until June 30, 2028, and earns between 2 and 2.5 million euros net per season, thus a salary that would be more than manageable for Milan. The price tag for his transfer should also not be prohibitive: his book value is around 15 million euros, so the Germans cannot ask for more than 20 million. First, however, the Rossoneri will have to understand what margins there are for the other names on the list, starting with that of Marseille's Adrien Rabiot.
