Endrick of Real Madrid inacio sporting
AC Milan are looking to boost their Champions League mission with two significant winter signings, according to a report.
As La Gazzetta dello Sport write this morning, the January mercato is a long way off, but the Milan management are performing their evaluations and trying to get things lined up ahead of December 28th, the date on which new players can be signed.
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Unlike last year, when there were no funds to spend and Niclas Füllkrug arrived on loan to address the attacking emergency, this time the club will invest. The principle will be the same as in the summer, when €150m was spent: to acquire players that are worthy of Milan.
Gerry Cardinale intends to bring the club back to the top and hopes to lift a trophy this season. That’s why he will invest even more when the transfer window reopens, assuming the conditions are right.
Translated: RedBird’s number one knows that in January, big clubs rarely let their best players leave, but the desire is to complete a squad that – after Mario Gila and Sankhoun Diawara – did not get any further defensive reinforcements in the summer.
Goncalo Inacio of Portugal
Photos: AC Milan + Carlos Rodrigues/Getty Images
Inacio in pole
It’s logical to start with the reinforcements identified (but that never materialised) in the summer. These deals were carefully studied and ‘approved’ by Cardinale and his men. In defence, the priority is Gonçalo Inacio.
Amorim would gladly reunite with him after launching him at Sporting CP. The centre-back – who became captain following Hjulmand’s departure – is no longer considered unsellable. Last December, he renewed his contract until 2030, including a pay raise, and has started every game this season.
However, by the end of the summer window, there was little outcry in Lisbon when Milan knocked on president Varandas’ door with an offer exceeding €40m. The white smoke never came, because Sporting had made the deal contingent on finding a suitable replacement, which never came.
Inacio is receptive to the Rossoneri’s advances: at the start of the season, he showed signs of nervousness, which may have been one of the causes of his two own-goals (one in the Champions League and one in the league).
Now he’s unhappy being considered a reserve for the Portuguese national team too, where he’s consistently called up (including to the last World Cup), but hasn’t made an appearance since early June. At 25, a change of scenery isn’t an option he’s ruling out.
Indeed, testing himself in Serie A appeals to him. It remains to be seen whether Sporting will be willing to sell him immediately or only part with him at the end of the season. Inacio is a left-footed player who thrives in the build-up phase – ideal for Amorim’s back three.
Endrick moves closer
The situation with Endrick is clearer, as Real Madrid will only agree to a dry loan deal, with a potentially very high option to buy (and buy-back) at most. This is essentially the same deal they used for Nico Paz at Como.
The former Palmeiras starlet seems like a great fit for Amorim’s system, given that he could operate in the right-sided attacking midfielder position, cutting in on his left and playing off Goncalo Ramos and Christian Pulisic.
The Brazilian has let his agents know that – should he not find a spot under Jose Mourinho in the coming months – he would like to try a a spell in Serie A. Cardinale, who has an excellent relationship with Roc Nation, is convinced he’s in pole position.
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