Milan, the time has come to accelerate...
The Rossoneri club and Manchester United are working to finalize the transfer of Rasmus Hojlund. While the formula, a loan with an option to buy, has already been agreed upon by the Red Devils for a week, the two clubs now need to settle on the financial details.
Milan initially valued the deal at around 40 million euros, while United were pushing closer to €50 million. Both sides, however, know that some compromise will be necessary to get the deal done, likely landing on a middle ground of around 5 million euros for the loan fee and just under €40 million for the purchase option.
There is one thing both clubs agree on: it’s time for Hojlund to move on.
Manchester has already made that clear to the Danish striker, first by not fielding him in the friendly against Fiorentina, and then stating it explicitly in a face-to-face meeting with the player.
To add to that, keep an eye on Ruben Amorim’s choices in Fulham’s opening Premier League match this Sunday at Old Trafford against Arsenal: English reports claim that Hojlund is firmly behind Sesko, Cunha, Zirkzee, and Mbeumo in the Portuguese coach’s pecking order, even risking not being included in the squad.
For their part, Milan contacted Hojlund’s representatives (and his father, Andres) on Tuesday evening to confirm their intent to bring him to San Siro, receiving the striker’s preliminary approval. The Dane respects the Milan club for its tradition and is attracted by the opportunity to work with Massimiliano Allegri, but he clearly wants guarantees about the project the Rossoneri have in store for him. Not so much from a financial standpoint: Milan has already offered to cover Hojlund’s full current salary of just under 4 million euros per year, but from a purely sporting perspective. In this regard, Hojlund would like reassurance about the possibility of being purchased outright after a year, should his stint in Milan prove successful, either through a conditional obligation tied to objectives or a figure that allows Milan flexibility to exercise the buy option.
From the perspective of Igli Tare and Milan’s transfer team, the arrival of the new striker was planned for the week leading up to the first league match, next Saturday at San Siro against Cremonese. The hope is still to meet that goal, but the Hojlund negotiation doesn’t appear to be in the final straight yet, which is why Milan must keep alternative options alive to avoid surprises. Yesterday, English media reported Fulham’s interest in the Dane, while Borussia Dortmund is also keeping an eye on him: until the deal is closed, Hojlund remains coveted by other clubs as well.
And if United’s striker doesn’t arrive in the end?
The simplest route would be to Lecce for Nikola Krstovic, while targets like Nicolas Jackson would require Chelsea to open the door for a loan. The same applies to Dusan Vlahovic, Allegri’s preferred choice, provided both the transfer fee and salary demands are reasonable. Finally, watch Atletico Madrid, who are letting go of Norwegian striker Alexander Sorloth.
Source: La Gazzetta dello Sport.
