Milan added depth by signing Alessandro Florenzi and Tiemoué Bakayoko last summer, and the two loanees have had a polar impact thus far. While the Italian fullback has fit in nicely, the Frenchman has barely featured in the last few months.
The ex-Roma man has logged 24 appearances, scoring once. According to La Gazzetta dello Sport, the Rossoneri are strongly leaning towards picking up the €4.5M option to acquire him at the end of the season. Stefano Pioli often praised the veteran: “He is a strong player, and I am happy with his performances. I consider him a starter.”
Florenzi has filled in well when Davide Calabria missed time with a calf injury, but he has also taken care of different in other roles. Instead, Bakayoko has not been able to take advantage of his opportunities, and the two loanees will likely have an opposite future at Milan.
The 27-year-old started two matches in January, where he was replaced at half-time, and has not played since. He did not exploit the fact that Franck Kessié and Ismael Bennacer spent time away from the team due to the African Cup of Nations.
The Rossoneri paid €5M as the fee for a two-year loan. The conditions to trigger the €15M obligation to purchase him will come into effect in 2022-2023. It would not be too surprising if the club cut bait and he moved elsewhere in the summer, the Italian outlet reports. He is at ease where he is, but he would like to see regular minutes.