GdS: ‘The Diavolo want Walker’ – how Milan’s January transfer plans could pivot | OneFootball

AC Milan are currently at a crossroads with regards to their January transfer plans, and their interest in Kyle Walker remains very much alive.

As La Gazzetta dello Sport (seen below) write that Milan are being kept waiting by Marcus Rashford. Barcelona have entered the race and they represent a ‘significant obstacle’ despite their well-documented financial problems.

Now Milan must ask themselves to what extent they wish to engage in the battle, with possible options including a higher salary contribution or a higher loan fee. The Rashford idea will not be abandoned but other paths are being considered, naturally.

The Rossoneri directors may end up turning back to Walker. One English player excludes the other because of regulation, but in Walker there is the chance to sign a player that can make a real difference and would ‘certainly be low cost’.

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He would be allowed to go for free and an agreement on his current €6m net salary could be found by offering the player a longer contract than the current one (expiring in 2026) and spreading the salary he has guaranteed in the Premier League over more time.

Walker could do two roles: right-back and central defender. At 34, he is an experienced player and his versatility means that he could either partner Malick Thiaw, Fikayo Tomori or Matteo Gabbia, or even compete for a starting spot against Emerson Royal, Davide Calabria and Alex Jimenez.

However, his arrival would likely point towards an exit in the department, with Tomori strongly sought after by Juventus and Strahinja Pavlovic no longer certain of a stay. The Serbian was the second-most expensive signing of the summer (€18m plus bonuses) and could leave if a foreign club offer that.

This is why Walker as a central defender could be a solution that Sergio Conceiçao would consider, and the coach will obviously have to have his say. And he will be consulted again today, when a sort of summit between the club and the coach is expected regarding the transfer window.

If Conceiçao also confirmed the need to intervene in defence, an alternative option could also be considered: Jonathan Tah, a German central defender from Leverkusen whose contract expires in June. it is inevitable that he will have certain demands regarding his salary given the many suitors who have come forward, including from Italy.

The addition of a defender could be accompanied by the arrival of a striker, regardless of Rashford’s decision. If the coach opts for two strikers in the future, there is Alvaro Morata and Tammy Abraham, with Francesco Camarda as an alternative and Luka Jovic – wanted by Monaco and Sevilla – now out of the plans.