Closed, for now, the door on Mike Maignan, whose transfer to Chelsea fell through in the final hours of the special transfer window that ended last night at 8:00 PM CET. The Rossoneri's focus in the coming days will shift exclusively to Theo Hernandez, who finds himself in a situation similar to that of his compatriot goalkeeper but who, in the next few weeks, could more easily reach a resolution that satisfies all parties involved.
Promised to Atletico Madrid
Yesterday, there was talk that Theo Hernandez had identified Atletico Madrid as his preferred destination, considering that his adventure with Milan now seems to be reaching its final chapter. As confirmed by Tuttosport this morning, the French full-back, whose contract expires in a year, has a relationship with the club that is difficult to repair. In recent days, Milan had accepted the €30 million offer from Al Hilal. However, it was the player himself who blocked the move, as he wishes to continue playing in Europe and has found his ideal destination in the Colchoneros. An agreement with Cholo Simeone’s team has already been reached, and the full-back is pushing for a return to Madrid, where he had already been a part of the youth academy until 2016.
Meeting halfway
At the moment, the gap between Milan’s asking price and Atletico’s offer is significant. The Rossoneri are starting from at least the proposal they received from Saudi Arabia, while the Madrid club is putting only half that amount on the table—€15 million. For its part, the Italian club doesn't have much room to maneuver and, as days go by, will inevitably have to make some concessions to the Spanish side—provided that they too are willing to compromise. The feeling is that an agreement can still be reached to resolve a situation that would satisfy everyone involved: Milan already has Maignan heading toward contract expiry, and keeping two players in the squad under such contractual conditions could prove counterproductive. In the meantime, the search for a successor is already underway, with names like Zinchenko, Cambiaso, Udogie, and De Cuyper on the list.
