GdS: Milan to complete €30m double defensive swoop imminently – the details

AC Milan are now very close to completing the signings of Koni De Winter and Zachary Athekame, to bolster the defensive department.

The medicals will likely take place tomorrow, as per La Gazzetta dello Sport (seen below), and the official announcement will follow after the signing of the contracts. However, the CEO Giorgio Furlani and the sporting director Igli Tare have been working on the final details in the past 24 hours.

Practically everything is done, and the two could be in Milan as early as this evening. On the day Malick Thiaw made his transfer to Newcastle and became a new Magpies player, Milan have accelerated to give Massimiliano Allegri two defenders for the Bari game in the Coppa Italia.

There is time to complete the registrations, and unless there are any unexpected events, everything points to them being available for the match at San Siro on Sunday night. They won’t start, but they should still be on the bench and begin to familiarise themselves with their new ‘home’.

De Winter is here

The deal that Milan successfully secured for the Belgian was completed in just 48 hours. When the management realised Thiaw’s determination to move to England – rejecting the lucrative contract renewal they had been offered – they had no hesitation in choosing De Winter.

The management agree that he is a versatile defender (he can play in both a back three and a back four, but can also be deployed as a full-back if needed). De Winter doesn’t need to be tested in Serie A, having had three seasons of experience with Empoli and Genoa.

Furthermore, he already worked with Allegri at Juventus as a youngster. Milan will pay €18m plus €2m in bonuses for him; a percentage of the sum will go to Juventus. Koni will sign a five-year contract and earn €1.8m plus bonuses per season.

Athekame follows

The Athekame deal is effectively done. An agreement has been reached with Young Boys to bring him to Milan for €10m plus a 10% interest on any future sale.

The Swiss right-back, who turned down a Ligue 1 team to join Milan, will take the place occupied last season by Kyle Walker, Emerson Royal and Davide Calabria.

Zachary impressed Milan executives with his strength and power, and the club believes they’ve landed a player with explosive pace and the ability to push forward on the flank.

Clearly, Athekame will need time to adapt to a new tournament, but having a coach like Allegri will greatly aid his learning process.