Following a busted attempt to sign Marcus Thuram, out-of-sorts Serie A giants Milan have rekindled their interest in Lens goal-getter Lois Openda. As revealed by Corriere dello Sport (via PianetaMilan), the Belgium international is again on the Rossoneri radar as Stefano Pioli craves a new striker.
Milan seemed a step away from landing Thuram before Inter hijacked their move for the former Borussia Monchengladbach forward at the 11th hour. Losing the French star to the Nerazzurri added insult to injury following Sandro Tonali’s heartbreaking departure for Newcastle United. And now, the San Siro chiefs are under pressure to redeem themselves.
Openda, who swapped Club Brugge for Lens in a deal worth around €11.8 million last summer, enjoyed a stellar break-out campaign in Ligue 1. The 23-year-old racked up 21 goals and four assists in 38 league appearances for Franck Haise’s side. His outrageous scoring exploits helped Les Sang et Or push Paris Saint-Germain all the way in the title race, finishing only one point adrift of the perennial French champions.
But he may not be part of the Lens Championship League squad next season. Openda’s superb form in Ligue 1 has drawn plenty of interest. In addition to Milan, Bundesliga high-flyers RB Leipzig are also hot on his heels. On top of that, he’d warrant a substantial price tag. It’s said that Lens may ask for up to €50m to part with their talismanic striker.
Their asking price initially blew Milan out of the water. However, after earning around €70m from Tonali’s sale, the Rossoneri now have the funds to splash out. While finding a new midfielder to replace the Italian metronome remains a high priority for Pioli, signing a new striker is equally significant.
Milan parted with veteran superstar Zlatan Ibrahimovic at the end of last season. It leaves aging Olivier Giroud and underperforming Divock Origi as the only senior center-forward options at Pioli’s disposal. With all due respect to the ex-Chelsea marksman’s class, the Rossoneri need a younger striker.
Origi’s first season in Serie A left a lot to be desired, and Milan can hardly afford to rely on pure hope that he could find his feet next year. Therefore, Openda could be their man this summer, but only if the new hierarchy decides to invest heavily.
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