Milan have received a transfer boost as Torino reportedly look to cash in on star striker Andrea Belotti to raise funds for their summer spending campaign. According to Calciomercato (via SempreMilan), the Granata‘s stance on their best player’s indispensability has changed amid growing concerns regarding their Serie A status.
Davide Nicola’s men sit just a single point clear of the drop zone but do have a game in hand on 18th-placed Cagliari, with ten league fixtures left to go.
Belotti has been instrumental in keeping his team’s head above water, notably participating in 41% of Torino’s goals this term. Indeed, the 27-year-old has netted 11 and assisted six of his side’s total 39 Serie A goals scored this season.
Although they remain reliant on their captain, the struggling Turin giants have realized that the changes are necessary if they are to avoid another scary season.
Torino chiefs are reportedly seeking four reinforcements to shake things up a bit in the summer.
A new goalkeeper is high on their list of priorities after Salvatore Sirigu performed in patches and second-choice shot-stopper Vanja Milinkovic-Savic failed to live up to expectations.
Additionally, after conceding a league fourth-high 50 goals, Torino will need to add a new central defender to plug their leaky back line.
As for the midfield, out-of-favor Atletico Madrid terrier-like-figure Lucas Torreira remains a dream for the Granata.
The combative box-to-box midfielder has failed to shine since departing Serie A for Arsenal in 2018 and seems poised to return to the Apennines.
Selling Belotti would leave a sizeable gap in the final third, which would require the signing of a proven forward. Therefore, Cagliari’s Joao Pedro has emerged as a potential candidate to fill the Italian’s boots should the latter leaves the Stadio Olimpico Grande Torino in the summer.
Although Torino knocked back Atletico Madrid’s lucrative €60million bid for their talisman a couple of years ago, they are now ready to accept an offer in the region of €30-40m.
Such news comes as a boost to Milan, who are searching for a long-term solution for the No 9 role. The Rossoneri have been keeping close tabs on Belotti and could try to concretize their interest at the end of the season.
With Zlatan Ibrahimovic entering the fourth decade, Stefano Pioli needs a pair of fresh legs in front of goal, and who better than a man who has been tearing apart defenses in Italy for years to fill the void.