AC Milan close to selling Junior Messias to Besiktas, Marseille keen on De Ketelaere | OneFootball

Junior Messias is close to swapping AC Milan for Besiktas only days after Ante Rebic took the same trip to salvage his career.

According to Gazzetta dello Sport, the Rossoneri will earn around €5 million from the veteran forward’s departure as Stefano Pioli’s bid to offset lavish summer spending picks up momentum.

Rebic left San Siro to team up with Besiktas last week, and Messias is now on the verge of following in his footsteps after both players fell down the pecking order in Lombardy.

Milan paid Crotone €8m to sign the 32-year-old last summer following his impressive loan spell in 2021/22, with the Brazilian featuring 68 times for the Italian giants, netting 12 goals.

But the arrivals of Christian Pulisic and Samuel Chukwueze have rendered Messias’ services unnecessary, forcing him to leave Italy after eight years and seek refuge in Turkey.

In addition to Messias and Rebic, Pioli could soon dispatch another underachiever in Divock Origi, whose future could be in Saudi Arabia off the back of a woeful maiden season at San Siro.

The former Liverpool striker has made Steven Gerrard’s wishlist at Al-Ettifaq, while Milan cannot wait for a formal offer from the Saudi Pro League outfit.

Like Origi, Charles De Ketelaere’s first-team prospects have dwindled after a disheartening first campaign in Serie A, though the Belgian will likely remain in Europe.

After PSV Eindhoven identified the 22-year-old as Xavi Simons’ potential heir, Marseille have registered an interest in the ex-Club Brugge playmaker as part of their quest to replace Dimitri Payet.

Payet’s second stint at the Stade Velodrome ended last month, creating a gap in Les Olympiens’ creativity department, with De Ketelaere emerging as a possible solution.

Milan forked out over €30m to lure him away from Brugge last summer.

However, he has failed to live up to his price tag, falling out of favour with Pioli ahead of the 2022/23 season.

While the Italians hope to recoup at least €28m from De Ketelaere’s inevitable departure, they’ll more likely have to settle for a loan with an option to buy.