Milan and Roma are highly likely to miss out on Sergio Ramos as PSG are the clear frontrunners to sign him. They were long-shot destinations considering the money involved. The two Italian clubs had exploratory talks for the defender, but his salary was a problem, Corriere della Sera reports.
Roma tried to exploit the connection with José Mourinho to bring him in, but it does not look like it will be enough. Ramos should soon ink a three-year contract with the French club, earning €15M per year. The Giallorossi were willing to give him €10M per year.
The Spaniard would be the third free-agent addition by PSG after Georginio Wijnaldum and Gianluigi Donnarumma. They proposed wages that were unmatchable for other sides. They offered significantly more than Barcelona for the former Liverpool midfielder, who will make €10M per year. The Italian goalkeeper will get a five-year, €60M contract, including bonuses.
Ramos was a target more for Roma than for Milan. On top of the presence of the Special One, their backline could be in flux in the upcoming window. Chris Smalling may leave and Gianluca Mancini has drawn interest from Inter. The Rossoneri already made a sizeable investment in the back by buying out Fikayo Tomori from Chelsea for €28.5M. They are negotiating an extension with Romagnoli and would likely pursue younger profiles if they opted to sell him.
The former Merengues captain may not be the only defender moving from Real Madrid to PSG this summer. According to La Gazzetta dello Sport, CEO Leonardo started a bidding war with Manchester United for Raphael Varane exploiting his contractual situation.