AC Milan’s Malick Thiaw open to a return to Germany with Bayer Leverkusen interested | OneFootball

Bild reports that AC Milan and German national team defender Malick Thiaw is open to returning to Germany, with Bayer Leverkusen linked.

With Jonathan Tah set to leave the BayArena at the end of the season, Leverkusen have found their potential replacement in Thiaw.

The 23-year-old was previously on Leverkusen’s youth team and is open to a return to the Bundesliga, where he cut his teeth at a struggling Schalke. With his contract expiring in 2027, Milan wants a decision on their central defender’s future sooner rather than later, and with them currently sitting in ninth in Serie A, missing out on Europe could influence this decision.

At Leverkusen, Thiaw could increase his chances of being included in the squad for the World Cup next summer.

With Odilon Kossounou also set to depart to Atalanta in the summer, the money gained from the Ivorian’s move to Bergamo will help fund the transfer for Thiaw. Milan is expected to demand around €25m for the 23-year-old, whom they signed for €9.3m back in 2022.

GGFN | Jack Meenan