Milan interested in Atletico’s Alexander Sørloth, confident of discount | OneFootball

As reported by La Gazzetta dello Sport, Alexander Sørloth is one of several centre-forwards Milan are targeting ahead of a massive summer rebuild.

A faltering attack has left the Rossoneri having to do it all late in the season to secure a Champions League berth for next term, despite having been in the conversation for the Serie A for a substantial part of their campaign. 

Versatile forwards Rafa Leão and Christian Pulisic have registered middling returns. Injuries and poor form have derailed Santi Giménez’s time at San Siro, while on-loan forwards Christopher Nkunku and Niclas Füllkrug have massively flattered to deceive and are expected to be returned to senders once the season ends.

Massimilliano Allegri have asked for seasoned operators in the centre-back, central midfielder, wingback, and centre-forward positions in order to prepare for going deep in three competitions next season. Up front, the likes of Robert Lewandowski and Dušan Vlahović have been mooted. Both of them will be free agents in the summer, but their contract demands may prove to be a huge hurdle.

Borussia Dortmund’s Serhou Guirassy is another option, but the Guinean has two years remaining on his €9.43m-per-year BVB contract, which also has a €70m release clause.

Sørloth’s situation is considerably more favourable for Milan. The 30-year-old has thoroughly resurrected his reputation as a reliable operator in a top-five league after his one-goal stint at Crystal Palace. After arriving in LaLiga in 2021 with Real Sociedad, he has gone on to impress at Villarreal and now Atlético Madrid, with whom he recently came to the fore after hitting the second goal in his side’s first-leg victory over Barça in the Champions League quarter-finals, which proved crucial in the Rojiblancos reaching the semi-finals.

Atleti are expected to ask for a fee in the region of €40 million for Sørloth, who has two more years remaining on his €7.29m-per-year contract. That said, he has remained for the most part a second-string option for Diego Simeone during his time at the Metropolitano. Barring some late-season heroics and an exceptional campaign with Norway at the World Cup, Atleti could be convinced to accept a base fee in the region of €20–25 million before bonuses.