THE SURPRISE DEVELOPMENT ON THURSDAY WAS THE NEWS BREAKING THAT MILAN AND COMO HAD AGREED A €25M DEAL FOR MALICK THIAW. ONLY THE FINAL GREEN LIGHT FROM THE GERMAN DEFENDER IS MISSING, AND HE COULD DEPART FOR THE LAKE, BRINGING THE ROSSONERI’S SUMMER TAKINGS NORTH OF €100M. THIAW OUT, LEONI IN?
AS MILANNEWS RECALL, DURING HIS INFORMAL PRESENTATION TO THE PRESS, MILAN’S SPORTING DIRECTOR IGLI TARE OUTLINED THE GUIDELINES FOR THE INCOMING TRANSFER MARKET. ONE OF THESE CONCERNED THE DEFENCE, AND HE ANNOUNCED THAT A CENTRE-BACK WOULD BE SIGNED IF THERE WERE AN EXIT.
THEY ADD THAT THIAW’S SALE WOULD IN FACT FINANCE THE OPERATION WITH PARMA FOR GIOVANNI LEONI. WITH 17 APPEARANCES IN SERIE A UNDER HIS BELT AS AN 18-YEAR-OLD, AND ONE GOAL TO HIS NAME, LEONI IS THE FIRST CHOICE FOR TARE BUT ALSO FOR HEAD COACH MASSIMILIANO ALLEGRI.
TUTTOSPORT (VIA MILANNEWS) CONFIRM THAT WITH THE POTENTIAL €40M DOUBLE SALE OF THIAW AND ALVARO MORATA, MILAN REALLY WOULD HAVE THE MONEY TO SERIOUSLY GO FOR LEONI. IT IS BELIEVED THAT €35M WOULD BE ENOUGH TO SATISFY PARMA, BUT ONLY AS A FIXED FEE.
THE ROSSONERI WOULD CERTAINLY GET AHEAD OF INTER, WHO ARE ALSO VERY INTERESTED IN THE PLAYER. THE NERAZZURRI WOULD HAPPILY LET HIM STAY ON LOAN FOR A YEAR, WHILE MILAN PLAN TO BRING HIM STRAIGHT INTO THE FIRST TEAM GIVEN THE POTENTIAL AMOUNT INVESTED — AND THIS COULD MAKE THE DIFFERENCE.
ABOVE ALL, IT IS IMPORTANT TO UNDERSTAND AND DETERMINE WHAT PARMA’S ASKING PRICE WILL BE. IN ADDITION TO NOT HAVING THE NEED TO SELL LEONI GIVEN THEIR FINANCIALLY STRONG OWNERSHIP, THEY HAVE ALREADY REJECTED AN OFFER OF €25M FOR THE DEFENDER.
