Nikola Vlasic is trying to convince CSKA Moscow to let him join Milan. The Rossoneri identified him as one of the top candidates to replace Hakan Calhanoglu. However, their first bid, which consisted of an initial loan with option to buy, has been rejected.
Coach Aleksej Berezcuckij discussed the situation with the press today, as transcribed by Tuttomercatoweb: “Any manager is aware that there could be some additions and some departures during the transfer market. Everybody knows what the deal is with Nikola; he stated that he would like to switch team and go up a level multiple times. That is normal in football. However, he and his entourage must understand that nobody will leave for free. He is very expensive, but the club is ready for his exit.”
Milan will likely step up their efforts to acquire him in the next few days. The Russian club reportedly put a €30M price tag on the midfielder, but the Rossoneri are unlikely to spend that money right away. They have already splurged on several deals and would rather postpone the investment to next season. Despite the disagreement on the formula, the two sides were not distant on his evaluation.
If their other attempts were unsuccessful, Milan could take a flier on Josip Ilicic late in the window, La Stampa reports. The veteran attacker has only a year left on his deal with Atalanta. Moreover, Gian Piero Gasperini plans to rely more on their other options next season, such as Ruslan Malinovskyi and Aleksey Miranchuk.