Milan have concluded their lengthy search for a new defender, as they have struck a deal with Schalke 04 for Malick Thiaw. The center-back arrived in Italy yesterday to take the medicals and complete the formalities.
As per SportMediaset, the Rossoneri will pay €5M plus €2M potential add-ons for the 21-year-old. He had been on their radar for multiple windows. Although, his valuation had been considered too high beforehand. The buyers reportedly have financial issues, and his contract was set to expire in 2024.
Milan chased after Trevoh Chalobah and Japhet Tanganga before zeroing in on Thiaw. The former is now touted to stay at Chelsea despite the acquisition of Wesley Fofana, ESPN reports. Instead, Tottenham wanted a sizeable sum for their youngster, albeit allowing an initial loan.
The Rossoneri had begun looking for a center-back ever since Simon Kjaer tore his ACL last December. They longed to sign Sven Botman, but Newcastle outbid them with a €37M offer. The newcomer has 61 appearances with Schalke 04 under his belt, 26 in Bundesliga and 31 in the second division. He has eight caps with Germany U-21.
?? #Milan, ecco #Thiaw: iniziate le visite mediche per il nuovo acquisto rossonero
? @AntoVitiello pic.twitter.com/KwnrJ5Mg7H— TUTTOmercatoWEB (@TuttoMercatoWeb) August 29, 2022
Our Take on Milan Signing Thiaw
It took them eight months, but the Scudetto winners landed on a pretty good option to add depth to their defender. He is raw and will probably need at least a year to be top-club material. However, they are masterful in player development. They can wait for him with three strong options ahead of him in the pecking order. Plus, he was cheap and might be able to feature in multiple positions. It makes more sense to groom a prospect you invested in rather than somebody on loan that probably wouldn’t have stayed long-term.
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