Milan Transfer Market: Everything Points to Nwaneri. Two Re-Signings on Defense Have Fans Turning Up Their Noses
Priority on the attacking midfielder. According to *La Gazzetta dello Sport*, Ruben Amorim prefers to bring in reinforcements for the offense rather than the defense, and he made this clear during Friday’s meeting with owner Gerry Cardinale at Milanello. The Rossoneri are currently focused on finalizing several player sales before September, but they are planning at least one more major signing, and Amorim has prioritized an attacking midfielder.
The Portuguese coach wants a left-footed attacking midfielder who can bring quality to the Rossoneri’s attack while also contributing a significant number of goals and assists. With Karetsas out of the picture, the main target appears to be Ethan Nwaneri: the Arsenal player, born in 2007, has not been called up by Arteta for recent matches and is set to leave. The Rossoneri have long been linked with him and could soon make another move.
As for the defense, however, Amorim has said it’s fine as is, despite Tomori’s likely departure. The pool of center backs includes Gila, Gabbia, Pavlovic, De Winter, and Diawara, and some players—such as Bartesaghi—can be adapted to play in that position. What has surprised the fans are the unexpected confirmations regarding Filippo Terracciano and Pervis Estupinan. According to Matteo Moretto, both will remain in Milan this season unless the right offers come in.
On the transfer front, the most pressing issue to resolve remains that of Santiago Gimenez. The Mexican forward, whose name does not appear on the roster submitted by Milan to the League, continues to train separately: Porto has stepped forward with an offer of a free loan with an option to buy set at 15 million euros, but the Rossoneri are aiming for a paid loan with a mandatory buyout clause of 20 million. This gap remains to be bridged, although the mutual desire to part ways could facilitate an agreement.
The situation regarding Rafael Leao is more complex, as Milan has no intention of accepting less than 50 million euros for him. So far, only Galatasaray has come close to that threshold with an offer of 40 million plus bonuses, but the Portuguese star is by no means convinced about a move to Turkey and is looking with interest toward the Premier League, where, however, no concrete proposal has yet been put on the table by his agent, Jorge Mendes. The same goes for Christopher Nkunku: the Rossoneri are asking for 30 million for the French forward, with Newcastle reportedly having already reached a verbal agreement with the player’s agents, though they have not yet formalized an offer to the club. As for Youssouf Fofana, developments are expected from Crystal Palace and Nottingham Forest after Juventus backed out; Milan values the midfielder at 20 million euros.
