Franck Kessie’s departure for Barcelona on a free transfer has put pressure on Milan to land a new midfielder over the summer. Despite the club’s relentless effort to replace the Ivorian, they have so far failed to find a replacement.
The reigning Serie A champions missed out on the signature of Renato Sanches. Heavily linked with a move to San Siro throughout the summer, the Portuguese ace turned down the Italians to join Paris Saint-Germain.
After spending most of the summer trying to persuade Sanches to switch to Serie A, the Rossoneri face the risk of running down the clock. Indeed, time has become a sensitive mission for Milan if they are to replace Kessie before the opening matchday of the 2022/23 Serie A season.
According to Calciomercato, Milan are exploring several options in the market. Bordeaux star Jean Onana tops Paolo Maldini’s shortlist. Following Les Girondins’ relegation to Ligue 2, several exciting young prospects could leave the Matmut Atlantique in the summer.
Alongside the new Milan No.7 Yacine Adli, Onana was a rare bright spot at Bordeaux last season. At 21, the Cameroonian midfielder showed some promising signs in 2021/22, with his physical strength and tireless runs in the middle of the park bearing much resemblance to Kessie.
Milan and Bordeaux boast a special relationship. The Rossoneri hope to take advantage of that to capitalise on their long-term pursuit of Onana. They were interested in landing the youngster in January, but negotiations never took off. But things could change in the coming weeks.
In addition to Onana, Milan are interested in Hellas Verona stalwart Adrien Tameze, who performed well at Marc’Antonio Bentegodi last season. Yet, the Frenchman remains a significant first-team player for Gabriele Cioffi.
With Verona reluctant to sell the 28-year-old, Milan could focus their attention on Onana.