Milan Transfer Market: A Cloud Over the Matias Soulé Deal
Milan Transfer News: Matias Soulé’s move from Roma to the Rossoneri seems to be much more than just a rumor. With the Argentine set to leave the Rome-based club, Milan appears to have a clear advantage over other suitors, such as Fiorentina. Yet Carlo Pellegatti, a veteran insider who has been following the club’s affairs for decades, has expressed some reservations about the deal just as a deal seems to be nearing completion.
“There’s always this vague rumor about Soulé, and it’s true that they’ve offered him to Milan,” clarified Pellegatti, a longtime ‘Mediaset’ correspondent covering the Rossoneri. “Roma, however, would like to get 30–35 million for him. But if you notice, there was a time when every negotiation started with a base bid of 10 million, which then rose to 20. Now, for every player, the base is always 30–35. Whether the player in question has played well, poorly, or not at all. That’s money Roma would like to reinvest in a winger on the market.”
In reality, Roma’s valuation has risen even higher in recent weeks. According to reports in *La Gazzetta dello Sport*, the Giallorossi are asking for around 40 million for the Argentine’s transfer, a figure that a month ago had also attracted two Saudi clubs, Al-Ahli and Al-Ittihad. Soulé, however, turned down both offers, choosing to remain in Europe. This clear decision has effectively narrowed the range of possible destinations and strengthened Roma’s negotiating position.
The financial issue isn’t the only obstacle on the table. At Milan, in fact, the situation involving Rafael Leao still looms large: until the Portuguese player finds a new home, it’s unlikely the Rossoneri will be able to make a move for Soulé. Galatasaray, Fenerbahçe, and several Premier League and La Liga clubs have shown interest in the former Sporting player, but no one has yet come close to the 60 million demanded by Cardinale. To further complicate matters, Milan has already invested over 100 million in this transfer window on Gonçalo Ramos, Mario Gila, and Sankhoun Diawara.
Precisely for this reason, a prestigious alternative has emerged strongly in recent hours: Franco Mastantuono, born in 2007 and owned by Real Madrid, considered one of the brightest talents of his generation. The young Argentine, who turned 19 on August 14, spent his first season in Madrid often coming off the bench without managing to make a consistent impact. José Mourinho is said to have suggested a loan as the ideal solution for his development, following the model used in the past with Brahim Díaz in the Milan-Real Madrid exchange. The Rossoneri are reportedly considering a similar arrangement: a loan with an option to buy and a buyback option for the Blancos, avoiding a straight loan, which has not produced the desired results in recent times.
For his part, Soulé remains a player who perfectly fits Ruben Amorim’s needs: a left-footed attacking midfielder capable of operating on the wing and in tight spaces, with the ability to move naturally between the lines. In the season just concluded, he tallied 6 goals and 5 assists in 31 appearances for the Giallorossi, confirming his steady growth under the guidance of Gian Piero Gasperini. However, with Dybala’s contract extension and the retention of Malen—whom Roma bought outright for 25 million after he scored 13 goals in 16 appearances in the second half of the season—opportunities for the Argentine at Trigoria have significantly diminished, making his departure almost inevitable. So much so that this morning, August 1, Gasperini started him in the friendly against Cardiff, demonstrating that the player is still fully part of the coaching staff’s plans while the transfer market plays out.
