GdS: Doue remains No.1 right-back target but Athekame enters the frame – the reasons

AC Milan have been forced to look into alternative targets for the right-back role, and the name Zachary Athekame has emerged.

With Milan having concluded their tour of Asia and Australia, an acceleration in the transfer window is now expected. Why? Mostly because the CEO Giorgio Furlani will be back at Casa Milan, to work with Igli Tare and the rest of the management on various fronts.

A new right-back name

According to La Gazzetta dello Sport, Ardon Jashari and Guela Doué were the two big names in July. Doué remains the top target at right-back, but he’s at the centre of a complex operation. Strasbourg are asking for €30m, and the fact that they share ownership with Chelsea doesn’t help.

Milan thought they could land him for €20-22m, and now they need a breakthrough to rekindle a stalled negotiation. Massimiliano Allegri wants the Frenchman because he considers him perfect for the role.

Because of the difficulties, the Diavolo are looking around and have identified an alternative: Zachary Athekame, a Swiss right-back of Nigerian origins who plays for Young Boys and the Switzerland Under-21 national team.

Initial contact has already been made, and it’s possible an offer could be made soon. Athekame is two years younger than Doué having been born in 2004, and he would be a different type of signing.

He played eight games in the last Champions League but has never been away from Switzerland and thus the jump to Serie A would be a sizeable one.

However, some of his attributes are appealing: he’s athletic, quick, and has the legs to attack and find a teammate with a cross. Negotiations are still pending, but the price would obviously be far from Strasbourg’s valuation of Doué.