CM: A renewal and a €30-35m signing – the plan to strengthen Milan’s defence

The AC Milan management are plotting how to bolster the defensive department Ruben Amorim has to work with, a report claims.

Calciomercato.com begin a report by stating that among the current weaknesses of Milan is a defensive line that Amorim himself defines as not yet being as calibrated as he would like.

Due to various factors – including the much deeper approach under Massimiliano Allegri last season – there are some members of the squad that have not assimilated the new coach’s ideas.

The characteristics must also be taken into consideration in the evaluations. Matteo Gabbia and Koni De Winter for example, who Allegri likes, are defenders who are better at positioning than at playing in a high line.

This is why Amorim has been pushing for months to bring back one of his old protégés: Goncalo Inacio of Sporting CP.

A target and a renewal

Gerry Cardinale negotiated the signing of Inacio with Sporting’s management until the final day of the transfer window. The defender slipped away just before the final gong because the Portuguese club failed to find a suitable replacement.

Contacts between the two clubs are still ongoing in search of an agreement to be ratified in the January window. Milan are confident of closing the deal for a figure between €30-35m, and thus giving Amorim the player he has asked for.

Meanwhile, Milan have a left-footed centre-back in their squad at the moment: Strahinja Pavlović. In Cardinale’s opinion, the Serbian defender is deserving of a contract renewal until 2031 with a pay rise, given his performances.

According to what the report adds, the deal is close to being finalised: Pavlovic has rejected the advances of clubs in the Premier League in order to stay at Milan.