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Written by Martin Graham | May 6 2022
AC Milan and Lusk Lille have made significant progress in their discussions to sign Portuguese midfielder Renato Sanchez.
The 24-year-old former European golden boy is the Rossoneri’s first choice to replace departing Frank Kessie, who has signed a deal with Barcelona to join the Catalan side from the 2022/23 season.
They have been chasing the signing of Sanchez since the January window but the French club have stuck with the midfielder, who is one of their best players this season, as they look to end their Ligue 1 challenge on a strong note.
Having failed to achieve that goal – Lille are currently 10th on the table – they succumbed to the loss of their players in the summer. Besides Sanchez, they could lose striker Jonathan David and midfielder Edon Zegrova, while Milan are also interested in (and in advanced talks with) defender Sven Putman.
Milan, despite chasing Sanchez and making progress in his signature, has also announced an interest in Lazio midfielder Sergej Milinkovic-Savic.
The 27-year-old Serbia international is one of the most sought-after players in Europe. It has been linked to the German Bundesliga, the English Premier League, Juventus and Inter Milan in the Italian Serie A.
Tuttosport Reports indicate that Milan will throw their hat in the ring to sign the player.
The Rossoneri are on the cusp of acquiring €1 billion from Bahraini investment firm Investcorp, which would make them the first club to be owned by the Middle East. The acquisition will also make them the richest team in the league and one of the richest clubs in the world.
Investcorp is said to be looking for quality players in Serie A and in Europe’s top five leagues as a “gift” for the club’s fans, and Milinkovic-Savic has emerged.
Milan coach Paolo Maldini is also a big fan of the Lazio midfielder and has tried to sign him in the past. Investcorp will now provide the financial support to be able to do so without much competition.
Lazio expect Manchester United and Paris Saint-Germain to make a bid for the striker, but an initial price of €70m would be up the alley of the new owners.
Milan can dream of a midfield pair that Sanchez and Milinkovic-Savic would dream up, which will surely delight the club’s fans. Sanchez will prepare to move to Italy afterwards Calccircato She reported that Paolo Maldini and his colleague Frederic Massara had narrowed the gap between their offer and his personal requests.
Milan will also pay a discount on the €20m starting price Sanchez is asking for Lille because the midfielder has only one year left on his contract.
