Chelsea defender Fikayo Tomori could be on the verge of sealing a permanent move to San Siro, with AC Milan ready to activate his €28 million buyout clause.
Following their triumph in the UEFA Champions League, Chelsea’s preparations for the new season could soon begin, with Thomas Tuchel ready to undergo a potential squad overhaul. As such, he is expected to offload multiple fringe players from the first team, with Fikayo Tomori likely to become the first one, as reported by Milan News.
The centre-back was loaned out to AC Milan in January in search of regular game-time. Tomori has since made a valuable impact at San Siro, which has convinced the Serie A outfit to activate his €28 million buyout clause. The deal, in fact, could be finalised by next week, as the Rossoneri continue their preparations for the new season.
Milan have already secured the services of former Chelsea target Mike Maignan, and their acquisition of Tomori would be hardly surprising, as the Englishman has become a first-team regular under Stefano Pioli.
During his six months at the club, the 23-year-old has made 17 league appearances. His partnership with Simon Kjaer has been critical in helping the Rossoneri secure Champions League football. Barring the free agents, Tomori will technically become the second player to depart Stamford Bridge in the summer, following Victor Moses, whose Chelsea exit was made permanent earlier this month.
Chelsea, however, are unlikely to be deterred by the potential departure of the Englishman, even though they do need immediate reinforcements in the defensive unit, in view of the ageing Thiago Silva and Cesar Azpilicueta.
The monstrous defensive performances by Antonio Rudiger and Andreas Christensen in the Champions League final against Manchester City already suggests Chelsea are in good hands defensively. But, in addition, the Blues have been linked with multiple new targets, including Wolfsburg’s rising star Maxence Lacroix.
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The high profile targets for the newly-crowned European champions also include Achraf Hakimi, although the Inter Milan star is a wing-back so Tuchel is likely to prioritise the arrival of a centre-back like Lacroix or Jules Kounde, although the latter is going to cost a fortune, having also attracted interest from top clubs across Europe. As for a Tomori, a €28 million permanent switch to AC Milan appears to be a formality.
