Director of Football says that option to sign Chelsea loanee is ‘very high’ in blow to permanent deal hopes
Transfer insider Fabrizio Romano has shared some comments from AC Milan’s Director of Football, Frederic Massara, on Fikayo Tomori that were made before tonight’s Serie A clash against Udinese.
Massara admitted that the club are ‘very happy’ with the Chelsea loanee’s start in Milan, but stated that the ‘price’ of the centre-back’s buy option, which stands at €28m, is ‘very high’ for the Rossoneri.
Tomori has proven himself as a fine third option for Stefano Pioli’s side at the heart of the defence, with the 23-year-old impressing in his seven appearances to date.
Massara’s comments are very similar to those of Milan legend and technical director Paolo Maldini, with it clear that the Serie A contenders will only make a decision at the end of the season.
It’s amazing to see Tomori enjoy a quick start to life in Italy, especially considering his dire lack of action for the Blues since the turn of 2020, he went from a breakthrough England international to out-of-favour.
See More: ‘Looking for defenders’ – ‘Powerful’ Zlatan Ibrahimovic jokes about Liverpool injury crisis on talent show
Here is what Massara has had to say on the matter:
AC Milan director Massara to DAZN: “We’ll see if we pay Fikayo Tomori’s buy option… we are very happy about his start here, the price is very high. We will decide in the coming months”. ? #CFC #ACMilan
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) March 3, 2021
It’s essentially exactly the same, literally word-for-word, to what Maldini commented on Sunday:
Paolo Maldini to Sky Sport: “Tomori is a good talent and we’ve an buy-option clause. The price is very high, we’ll decide at the end of the season and we’ll discuss about it with Chelsea board”. The buy option will be around €28m. ? #cfc #acmilan
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) February 28, 2021
Milan echoing similar statements on Tomori in the space of just a few days makes it clear that the club, who sit second in Serie A behind local rivals Inter, are looking to nab a discount from Chelsea.
Whilst €28m is certainly a steep ask for a player in Tomori who is battling back from a spell as an outcast from the Chelsea team, the Blues may well have the market to stick to their demands.
Tomori’s performances in the Italian top-flight so far will either convince Thomas Tuchel that the rapid defender is ready for a bigger role next season, or it’s bound to attract interest from other Premier League clubs and Europe.
Should English clubs look at the centre-back, it’s fair to assume that they’d be less financially restricted than Milan may be – depending on how their season ends – it’s not like Chelsea are losing the only realistic suitor for Tomori if a summer sale is their intention.
The post Director of Football says that option to sign Chelsea loanee is ‘very high’ in blow to permanent deal hopes appeared first on CaughtOffside.