Tuttosport: ‘Zlatan’s Milan, from Rabiot to Fullkrug’ – one signing per department targeted

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·19 Juli 2024

Tuttosport: ‘Zlatan’s Milan, from Rabiot to Fullkrug’ – one signing per department targeted

AC Milan’s summer mercato is beginning to accelerate and Zlatan Ibrahimovic wants to put his mark on the new era that began with the appointment of Paulo Fonseca.

This morning’s edition of Tuttosport (via MilanNews) has a section on the front page dedicated to Milan which reads: ‘Zlatan’s Milan, from Rabiot to Füllkrug. And Ibra Jr goes to the U23 squad’. The plan, they state, is to make additions in each department.

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Defence

Milan’s original idea was to start with a right-back and Emerson Royal quickly gained pole position, but Tottenham’s demands were immediately deemed too high while Pierre Kalulu began to emerge as a candidate to be Davide Calabria’s deputy.

Consequently, the management is aiming to close for a new central defender and in this sense Stsrahinja Pavlovic is the most popular name. Milan have an agreement with the player, who is ready to sign a five-year contract worth €1.8m net per season.

The Austrian club must be convinced still, as they have the player under contract until 2027 and do not intend to sell him cheaply. Thus, the request is €25m, but the Rossoneri’s offer is around €20m including bonuses.

Plan B could be Mario Hermoso, formerly of Atletico Madrid and now a free agent, who Milan approached after the Alvaro Morata operation thanks to contacts with Beppe Bozzo. At 29 years old, the defender is asking for a three-year contract at €3.5m net plus bonuses.

Midfield

For the midfield, the watchword is balance. It was missing throughout last season and that is why Youssouf Fofana – who Milan have been following for some time – is the main target at the moment.

The situation is similar to Pavlovic: there is an agreement with the player at €2.5m net per year for five years, but no agreement with Monaco. The gap is wide (€25m the price set, €10m offered), but the Ligue 1 club do not have much leverage given his deal runs out in 11 months.

The alternatives come from Brazil, given Andrè Trindade (Fluminense) and Richard Rios (Palmeiras) are targets Then, a possible exit of one of Bennacer, Adli or Pobega could also open the way to another signing like Adrien Rabiot, officially a free agent, and/or Lazar Samardzic.

Attack

In addition to Morata, Ibrahimovic also wants to give another striker to Fonseca, a profile that can join the Spaniard and Luka Jovic (who Fenerbahce are interested in). Niclas Fullkrug is the main candidate, a 31-year-old centre-forward for Borussia Dortmund and Germany.

Serhou Guirassy’s arrival in yellow and black pushes the striker away from the Champions League runners-up and Milan would prefer him to Tammy Abraham for three reasons: the cost of the transfer (€15m vs. €25m), his injury record and his profile.

Moreover, another thing working in Milan’s favour is that Fullkrug would be more than happy to make the switch, hoping to emulate Oliver Bierhoff as the next German striker in red and black.