Half of the starting defense of AC Milan tonight could play this weekend in different shirts: the market, which intersects with league and cup commitments, is making strange moves and could take Emerson Royal and Pavlovic from San Siro to Turkey or England in a matter of days. The certainty is the starting point: Milan, both starting tonight in the Champions League clash against Girona. The destination is still to be planned, as long as a one-way trip is booked in the meantime.
A likely return for Emerson: the imminent arrival of Kyle Walker could corner him. The Brazilian, who was a starter first with Fonseca and then with Conceiçao, is wanted by Galatasaray: with a costly loan and a purchase option to be exercised in the summer, the Turks would offer a sum just above ten million euros.
This is slightly less than the purchase price, around 15 million. In the Premier League, where Emerson is known from his previous stint at Tottenham, Fulham and Everton would both want him back. A planned trip is, in fact, on the way: tomorrow, the player's agents will be in Italy to understand his wishes and resolve the situation in person. Emerson is also at risk of losing his Champions League spot, as Walker will be added to the list. Thus, after just five months at Milan, he is likely to consider the possibility of a new phase in his career: Emerson has played in Brazil, Spain with Betis and briefly with Barcelona, then in England and at San Siro. He knows the English league, while Turkey would be a new experience. Meanwhile, the market can wait: despite Calabria's availability (Jimenez is not on the list), he will still take care of the right flank.
Similarly, Pavlovic will play at the center of defense: the absences of Thiaw and Tomori, along with training performances, lead to this solution, despite Conceiçao’s attempt to make a move. On one hand, he confirms his admiration for the player, while on the other, he "pretends" to want to cover himself with an extra defensive midfielder. "Pavlovic is available to the team. It's not his fault if he hasn't played yet, he's trained well, with incredible desire. However, sometimes he steps out of position, and I don't like that. We have two central defenders, but I could also put a midfielder to play in that position." In the future, Walker himself could be useful in that role. At the 90th minute, Milan will decide what to do: could a convincing performance make the club change its mind? The offer from Fenerbahce is a heavy one: more than 20 million euros. Essentially, for ten starting matches at Milan, they would pay more than the club spent on him from Salzburg in the summer (18 million). In the case of a double departure, Walker wouldn't be enough: a second reinforcement at the back is ready.
Source: La Gazzetta dello Sport in today's print edition.
