CM: Opposite ends, same fate – Milan and Inter share targets in forced pursuit of new No.1s

Inter and AC Milan will contest Sunday’s derby with an interesting sub-plot: both will almost certainly say goodbye to their starting goalkeepers next summer.

As Calciomercato.com write, Yann Sommer and Mike Maignan will be poles apart at San Siro in two days, but they might just reach the same finish line at the same time. Both have contracts expiring next June and are far from reaching an agreement over a renewal.

Maignan’s situation

Maignan comes into the game as captain, having appeared very close to extending his contract last February. Then, Milan failed to qualify for the Champions League, and the club had to reconsider its financial position, pulling the agreement they had already reached for €5m net plus bonuses.

This ‘created tension between the player and his agent’, so much so that a move to Chelsea in the summer seemed imminent, but the Blues never offered a fee deemed adequate. Upon his arrival, Massimiliano Allegri resolved the situation by speaking with the player and striking the right chords.

Ultimately, Maignan remained in Milan, and he did so with the right mentality. However, at this point it’s very unlikely that the parties will consider renegotiating a new contract extension.

Photo by Francesco Scaccianoce/Getty Images

Shared targets

The first name to emerge is Cagliari’s Elia Caprile. The Nerazzurri were the first to set their sights on the former Napoli man, but the Rossoneri have also been following him with considerable interest lately.

The price tag could be a stumbling block for both Milan clubs. To snatch him from Napoli, Cagliari paid around €8m in the summer, and now it is believed that he could cost in the region of €25-30m.

The other name rising in popularity on both sides of the Navigli is Zion Suzuki, the Japanese goalkeeper who has announced plans to leave Parma next summer. Cristian Chivu would like to work with him again, and he told the Inter management this.

At Milan, there isn’t a coach who trained Suzuki, but rather a group of scouts who have been following and appreciating his growth for some time. The Japanese goalkeeper’s fee could be around €20m, but there’s a World Cup in the mix that could put him in the spotlight and boost his price tag.

Both Milan and Inter are considering him, another good opportunity to remind everyone that derbies are played both on the pitch and in the transfer market.