Milan, hard line with the outcasts: Tomori risks being left out of the squad list, the latest on Aston Villa and interest from the Premier League

Leaving AC Milan is certainly not a decision to be taken lightly, and life in Milan is very good. Galliani often returned to those points to explain why it was so hard to move on players who were not part of the plans. Several years on, the issue is right back in focus with Fofana and Tomori who, despite being left out by Amorim, are struggling to accept the club's decision. Tomori, in January 2025, pulled the plug on talks with Tottenham right in the final straight: his love for the club, the city and its fans is genuine, but things have changed over the last 18 months. Cardinale explained the reasons for the decision to the English defender, reiterating the hard-line stance that could lead to his exclusion from the Serie A squad list if his sale does not go through by 8pm on 1 September.

Free opportunity

Tomori is tied to AC Milan by a contract due to expire in July 2027, with net wages of €3.5 million. From February he will have the right to choose his next destination on a free transfer independently, which is why he is training separately at Milanello without the pressure of having to move quickly. He is waiting, weighing things up and wants the best possible destination. He still feels betrayed by a club he has tattooed on his heart.

The Premier League are calling

Tomori has a market in Saudi Arabia. Early in the transfer window, he was a target for Simone Inzaghi and his friend Theo Hernandez's Al-Hilal. Those exploratory contacts did not turn into a concrete offer for AC Milan to assess. The genuine, concrete enquiries have come from the Premier League: from Coventry to Newcastle, via West Ham and Aston Villa, who seem to be the only club Fikayo has opened the door to with real conviction.

Aston Villa stall

For several days Aston Villa have been in talks with Milan over two dossiers above all: the ones concerning Leao and Tomori. The two clubs seemed to be moving towards a valuation of 10 million plus bonuses, but in the last few hours the Villains have slowed things down because they are involved in the Ordonez deal with Club Bruges.

Almastadt, who has excellent relations with Aston Villa, will try to revive contacts in the hope of getting the deal done. If that fails, Milan will continue to work on the English market with the aim of offloading a burdensome contract before the final deadline of the transfer window.