1 week ago
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The race to become AC Milan’s new number nine seems to have become a two-horse one, with Dusan Vlahovic and Rasmus Hojlund the names.
With Ardon Jashari officially confirmed yesterday and Zachary Athekame ever closer to joining, Milan now need a striker to alternative with Santiago Gimenez, one who guarantees at least 15 league goals per season ideally.
Officially, there’s no rush, because they understand that clubs will have surplus players they have to offload them at a bargain price. Negotiating over Vlahovic with Juventus, once the Bianconeri have David and perhaps Kolo Muani in their squad, will certainly be easier than it is now.
The same goes for Hojlund, but the timeline is shorter given that United are one step away from completing the signing of Sesko after having already strengthened their attacking lineup with Cunha and Mbeumo.
The Dane on the rise
Last season, Rasmus disappointed for United with 10 goals in 52 appearances, and just four in the Premier League. The €75m plus €10m in bonuses paid to Atalanta in 2023 have not been repaid by the Dane’s performances, and he is now packing his bags.
Erik Ten Hag (with whom he shares an agent) and United wanted him badly, but Ruben Amorim has decided to move on. Hojlund’s asking price is around £30m, or €34.5m, but the feeling is that the price and even the terms are further negotiable.
Rashford, for example, went to Barcelona on loan with a €30m option to buy. Milan could opt for such a deal, but United are currently unwilling to do so because Hojlund earns significantly less than Rashford (€3m net per year versus €13m) and because they hope to cash in on his departure.
Milan’s initial contact with Rasmus was positive, ever since they were offered him in recent weeks. The 22-year-old is keen on returning to Serie A, where he broke through with Atalanta, and the Rossoneri appeals to him.
He’s said yes to the transfer, but now they’ll have to evaluate Milan’s moves. Will they choose to wait to secure a better deal or price, or will they make the move right away?
Vlahovic: Patience needed
The deal for Dusan is more complicated, not only because Juventus aren’t overbooked in attack like United, but also because the Serbian’s salary is €12m net per season. Milan, even offering him €6-7m net for next season without the Champions League, would risk upsetting the wage balance.
All the other players currently negotiating renewals – like Mike Maignan, Alexis Saelemaekers, Christian Pulisic and Ruben Loftus-Cheek – would then be asking for much higher figures.
There’s also the unknown factor surrounding Vlahovic’s value: Juventus – which has the striker on its books for his final year at €19.5m – won’t tolerate capital losses and are now asking for €30m. With Kolo Muani in the squad, the price is bound to drop: it’s the law of the market.
That’s why the Old Lady is hoping a buyer will materialise immediately, or that negotiations involving a swap of players (and a balance) will be initiated later. Juve were interested in Thiaw, but his valuation has skyrocketed above €30m.
Igor Tudor is interested in Saelemaekers, but Allegri brought him back to Milan (there was an offer from Roma to keep him) because he considers him valuable. Ismael Bennacer and Yacine Adli doesn’t appeal, nor does Samuel Chukwueze.
In short, there are difficulties to come, even though Max and Dusan are still in touch after their years together in Turin.
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