Milan and Monaco remain fairly distant on the valuation of Youssouf Fofana, but the Serie A side will continue to negotiate, even though they are starting to consider fallback options. They have laid eyes on Lazar Samardzic, who’s not truly an alternative because he has different traits. They have also shortlisted Richard Rios, who’s more similar, Gianluca Di Marzio informs.
The Rossoneri like the Frenchman but are unwilling to splurge since his contract is up in 2025. They have the will of the player in their pocket. He hasn’t opened to a renewal or other destinations so far.
Milan have tendered €15M including add-ons for Fofana, while Monaco demand a lot more. Nottingham Forest proposed €30M, but the midfielder wasn’t keen on them, TuttoSport informs (via Calcioblog).
The Rossoneri have earmarked Rios in case they can’t end the impasse. He has played at Palmeiras in the last two seasons, accumulating 82 appearances and notching 5 goals and 2 assists. He primarily stars in front of the defense. The 24-year-old has 13 appearances with Colombia under his belt. Since he’s extra-EU, they’d have to pick and choose among their targets since Italian teams can sign just two each summer.
Our Take on Milan, Fofana, and Rios
It wouldn’t be the first time they backtrack if a deal becomes too expensive, but they have more leverage, and it’s more understandable in this situation than in Joshua Zirkzee’s case. The threat of another big team swooping always looms, though.
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