Milan probably will not sign Sven Botman in January, but their second-best outcome would be him staying at Lille past deadline day. Les Dogues put up stiff resistance during the current window. However, they could be more lenient next summer, Tuttosport reports.
The Rossoneri have clearly identified the Dutchman as the ideal defensive reinforcement. They envision him pairing up with Fikayo Tomori in the back for years to come. They are hoping the French club continues to reject Newcastle’s bids to purchase him at the end of the season.
While Lille have had very high requests in the past few weeks, Milan believe a €25-28M offer plus add-ons will be enough to snatch Botman down the line. Director Paolo Maldini recently weighed in on their pursuit of a new center-back: “We are not in position to make a major investment now. We might stand pat, as we have enough men to move forward as is.”
The Rossoneri are unsure whether Alessio Romagnoli will still be at the club in 2022-2023. They will re-engage in the extension talks in February. Instead, they are in advanced negotiations to prolong the contracts of backups Pierre Kalulu and Matteo Gabbia till 2026, Calciomercato.com informs.
On top of Botman, Milan will also try to acquire Renato Sanches from the reigning Ligue 1 champions. He is very high on their shortlist of potential replacement from Franck Kessié. The Ivorian midfielder is likely to stay put in January despite his expiring contract. He has drawn interest in particular from Tottenham.