In addition to increasing the number of goals scored, a task that will be mainly assigned to the new center forward, Milan absolutely needs to reduce the number of goals conceded: these are the two directions along which the Rossoneri summer market is moving. The offensive production will be the responsibility of the next 9, while the defensive phase will also involve the midfield: his national teammate Youssouf Fofana, busy with Deschamps’ group at the European Championship, will be able to contribute to protecting Maignan. With France and especially with Monaco, Fofana makes his physique count in front of the defense, interrupts the opponent’s action and restarts that of his own team. Which does not mean completely giving up on targeting the other penalty area: last year he scored four goals in Ligue 1. For all this, Milan is willing to spend 25 million euros, already on the table. It is the offer that the Rossoneri have taken into account and it is the figure that Monaco (starting with higher requests) will most likely end up accepting. Even before his commitments with the national team, Fofana had declared his story in the Principality over. Once the European Championship is over, the table could reopen to define the agreement between the clubs and to structure the player’s new contract. Fofana, twenty-five years old and with a contract expiring in 2025, will gladly discuss a three-year contract with an option.
middle movements
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Milan have put Fofana at the top of their wish list and it can be said that the opposite is also true: the list of suitors was long, but for the player, Milan comes before the others. Even before Arsenal and the call of the Premier League. San Siro and Serie A win the long-distance duel: another detail that could facilitate the negotiations on the contract. The investment in Fofana and the space that will be reserved for him in the team requires evaluations on the rest of the department: Bennacer should consequently lose his place in the middle. Ismael plans to go and play in Arabia in a few years but the new balance at Milan could push him to anticipate the times. A rich offer from the Saudi League would also allow the club to recover the investment in Fofana. Milan would also save on the 4 million salary, or rather they could allocate the amount to the new arrival. Fofana alone can do the trick: in addition to Bennacer, Milan would give up Adli, for whom they are willing to listen to offers.
new midfield
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This would create a completely new midfield, completely revolutionized compared to the championship season. All 2021-22 performers would be replaced. They have already said goodbye to Kessie, Tonali and Krunic, it would now be Bennacer’s turn. The team’s new midfielder, built with the same ambitions to win, would find its main interpreters in Fofana, Reijnders and Loftus-Cheek. A complete department: physical and insertions. The priority, as mentioned, is to protect the defense: last year’s was far too fragile. At the end of the season he had conceded 69 goals, an enormity: 49 in the league, 8 in the Champions League, 9 in the Europa League and another 3 in the Italian Cup.
next stop
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Fofana is the name on which the club and coach agreed: in the direct clashes of last season between Fofana and the new Rossoneri coach (formerly of Lille) it ended with one victory each. The paths could cross soon: Youssouf was bought in 2017 by Strasbourg, with whom he made his debut the following season after a year in the second team. Since 2020 he has been at Monaco, in 2022 the first call-up with the senior French national team. In this European Championship two appearances of 10 minutes in total, between Austria and Poland and 90 on the bench against Holland. Before his debut he said: “I spoke about my future with the Monaco directors, we have an agreement to take the next step”. Milan is there, a step forward.
