AC Milan set to offload and Tomori
Nigeria-born forward Noah Okafor’s time at Milan may be nearing its end after less than two seasons as the club is reportedly holding talks with RB Leipzig to sell the striker.
The Rossoneri spent €14m plus add-ons to sign the Switzerland international from RB Salzburg in the summer of 2023, but he since failed to persuade both Stefano Pioli and Paulo Fonseca to change the team’s pecking order.
This campaign, he struggled to make the most of his five Serie A starts, with his only coming in his first appearance of the season, when he came on to help his side complete a late comeback against Torino and earn a 2-2 draw.
As reported by Matteo Moretto of Relevo, Bundesliga side RB Leipzig have recently stepped up their pursuit of the 24-year-old, finding Milan willing to negotiate his exit.
Talks between the two clubs are currently ongoing, as Milan hopes to get at least €11m from his sale to avoid a capital loss.
Okafor played his last game in the Rossoneri jersey in mid-December and has since been sidelined with injury, although he is expected to return in the first weeks of 2025.
Elsewhere, Juventus’ interest in Fikayo Tomori is still alive, as they are willing to see whether Milan are still open to negotiating his exit even after the appointment of Sergio Conceição.
The Bianconeri set sights on the former Chelsea defender, who had fallen out of favour under previous coach Paulo Fonseca, but talks were suddenly interrupted following Conceição’s arrival at the San Siro ahead of the Supercoppa Italiana, as the 27-year-old was also said to be willing to prove himself under the new manager.
The former Porto boss immediately showed his appreciation for the centre-back by lining him up in the semifinal against the Old Lady, who, however, are unwilling to give up on their chase and hope to resume negotiations with the Rossoneri when the tournament in Saudi Arabia ends.
According to Calciomercato.com, the two clubs were holding fruitful talks over a deal concerning a two-season loan with an obligation to buy set at €20m, before Conceição replaced his compatriot at the helm, halting all transfer discussions.
However, Juventus are convinced Tomori is an ideal profile to reinforce their defence and wants to understand whether they can still persuade Milan to let him go.
The Old Lady already signed Pierre Kalulu in a bargain move last summer and could face the Diavolo’s reluctance to replicate a similar deal, forcing them to look at different targets, such as David Hancko of Feyenoord.
