Acceleration to sign Jashari, but not only him.
On a hectic transfer market Monday, AC Milan also received the first response from Young Boys regarding their offer for full-back Zachary Athekame: a €7 million bid was rejected, but negotiations remain open. The Swiss club informed Milan that they have proposals worth around €10 million on the table from France and England, as well as an attempt from Bologna. However, the Rossoneri hold a key advantage, they already have a personal agreement with the player and are confident of closing the deal soon.
A new bid will be necessary, and sporting director Igli Tare, who enjoys an excellent relationship with Young Boys, has already prepared a new offer of €8 million plus bonuses, aiming to reach the symbolic €10 million figure.
Will that be enough?
At Casa Milan, there is strong confidence that the green light will come in the next few days.
Strategy:
While Jashari would complete Rossoneri's midfield once and for all, already reinforced by the arrivals of Modric and Ricci, the signing of Athekame would bolster the defense.
The last defensive signing? Not necessarily.
On one hand, the 2004-born Swiss player is clearly a signing for the future given his age and experience. On the other, the club is not ruling out possible departures (which would naturally require more reinforcements).
Although Massimiliano Allegri was quite pleased with his defensive unit during the tour in Asia, there is notable interest, especially in Malick Thiaw, with Premier League clubs particularly keen.
So, should an offer of over €30 million arrive, Milan would at least be open to listening, and in that case, would explore replacements.
It's no secret that Pietro Comuzzo (Fiorentina) has long been monitored, as has Giovanni Leoni (Parma), though his price tag has scared off most of Serie A’s top clubs.
Attack
Once the defense is sorted, Milan will shift focus to the attack, a department where the strategy from the beginning was to wait for opportunities as the transfer window progressed.
CEO Giorgio Furlani and Tare already have a wishlist, which of course includes Dusan Vlahovic. Talks with Juventus haven’t begun yet, but at Casa Milan, they’re already considering what type of offer could be made, perhaps involving a player exchange (Thiaw, Bennacer, Adli, or Chukwueze?).
Milan are studying various profiles, some more realistic than others.
Among the more attainable options, they are especially watching Victor Boniface of Bayer Leverkusen, particularly after Schick’s contract renewal, which increases competition for the same role.
A more low-cost solution could be Breel Embolo of Monaco, with whom initial conversations have already taken place. However, the Swiss striker is currently demanding a net salary of €4 million per season, a figure Milan consider too high.
Depending on how open clubs are to loan formulas, keep an eye on names like Darwin Núñez (Liverpool), Rasmus Højlund (Manchester United), Gonçalo Ramos (PSG), or Nicolas Jackson (Chelsea): expensive profiles both in terms of transfer fees and wages, but potentially surplus to requirements at their clubs. Hence the hope that a last-minute market opportunity could emerge.
Departures before the final whistle on September 1
Milan hope to offload two high-profile surplus players: Ismaël Bennacer and Yacine Adli, though so far they’ve resisted the offers received. Chukwueze and Musah may also be evaluated for possible exits.
Meanwhile, Bondo is one step away from a loan move to Cremonese, and Comotto officially became a new Spezia player yesterday.
Source: La Gazzetta dello Sport
