Milan are bracing for the possibility of losing Hakan Calhanoglu and are lining up alternatives. They met the agents of Mattia Zaccagni, who was among their targets in January. They have an advantage over the competitors as they are the only ones to play in the Champions League, La Gazzetta dello Sport reports.
Napoli and Lazio also set eyes on the inventive midfielder. Verona are likely to cash in on him once they get a good offer. They turned down a €12M bid coming from the Partenopei in previous months. Zaccagni would likely pick Milan over other possible destinations, should they really try to sign him.
The trequartista has just one year left on his deal, and he has turned down an extension. His price tag is around €12/15M, and Milan could insert Mattia Caldara or Andrea Conti in the deal. The two defenders are coming off loan spells at Atalanta and Parma and are not on Stefano Pioli’s plans. They would instead come in handy for the Scaligeri, which could lose multiple regulars after the departure of Ivan Juric.
Zaccagni has blossomed in the last two seasons, tallying seven goals and 16 assists. Thanks to the recent talks, he is back on Milan radar, which are evaluating few options for the role. While Rodrigo De Paul is set to join Atletico Madrid after Copa America, Amide Adli is a serious contender. In addition, the Rossoneri are negotiating with Real Madrid to retain Brahim Diaz. The latest indication coming from Gianluca Di Marzio suggests he could return on loan with an option to acquire him and a buy-back clause in favor of the Merengues.