Renato Sanches’ departure to PSG after a summer-long saga has forced Milan to turn towards French feeder club Rennes as versatile midfielder Baptiste Santamaria is the latest midfield reinforcement being considered by their directors, according to La Gazzetta dello Sport. However, he is not the only one.
Looking for a direct replacement for Franck Kessie, Milan are eyeing Ligue 1 once again. Moreover, the recent injury borne by the talented Sandro Tonali has only bolstered their intention of reinforcing their midfield ranks. The Italian is nursing a minor groin issue and will likely miss some time.
?Selon la @Gazzetta_it, Baptiste Santamaria?? ferait partie des cibles du Milan AC pour renforcer son milieu de terrain. #MercatoSRFC https://t.co/Cs7xwU3kcm
— Actu SRFC (@ActuSRFC_) August 8, 2022
Santamaria is understood to be a perfect fit for Milan coach Stefano Pioli, not only because of the similar role, but also for his flexibility to play anywhere in midfield, including further up the field. The other name is his much younger teammate Lesley Ugochukwu, who is only 18. As per La Stampa (via MilanNews), the Rennes youth product, who just experienced a breakthrough season at the club, would have a chance to grow further at Milanello.
On top of Milan, Santamaria has been targeted by Napoli in the past and had a few suitors from the Bundesliga. He decided to stay put in his home nation at the time. The Rossoneri will have to shell anywhere around the €10-15M mark to lure him to San Siro. Whereas, Ugowhukwu would come relatively cheap – around €5M. Lens midfielder Seko Fofana is another target for Milan from Ligue 1.
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