AC Milan are planning another big signing after the addition of Goncalo Ramos, and Virgil van Dijk’s name has emerged.
La Gazzetta dello Sport report that Ramos is currently in Florida with the Portuguese national team, and tomorrow he’ll be in Toronto for the round of 16 match against Croatia. Yesterday, he was announced as the record signing in Milan’s history, signing a five-year deal.
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Despite this massive addition, Milan must look forward, and to look forward they must look backward, because the second major need is a central defender. Zlatan Ibrahimovic, in the spring, told the club he wanted a specific player: Virgil van Dijk.
The impossible dream?
Will it be impossible to get him? Perhaps. Van Dijk has another year left on his contract with Liverpool, and they have already lost Ibrahima Konaté in this transfer window, who will leave at the end of his contract and join Real Madrid after the World Cup with France.
However, the idea of Van Dijk has reached Cardinale, and an evaluation of the matter is underway within RedBird Capital. Whether it will lead to an offer remains to be seen. Obviously, it wouldn’t be a question of Liverpool’s financial proposal, but rather of Van Dijk’s desire and salary, which is high.
Virgil would certainly change Milan’s outlook, giving them a champion around whom to build the defence and the team, on and especially off the pitch. Milan hasn’t had an emotional leader of that calibre for a long time.
The most likely option for now is a younger defender, with a lower salary. Gonçalo Inacio is one of the names being considered. He’s 25 like Ramos and played for Amorim at Sporting. He would cost around €30-40m.
It would be a different choice, more for the future and less immediately impactful, but amid all this, there’s the certainty that Milan are ready to spend even more. As for Inacio, however, his last three weeks were spent on Portugal’s bench at the World Cup. It sounds familiar.