AC Milan hope to be able to negotiate a lower price tag for Chelsea’s Fikayo Tomori with a view to a permanent move for the borrower this summer.
Tomori agreed to loan Rossoneri with an option to buy in January after struggling for minutes under Frank Lampard during the first half of the season, and has been seriously impressed since joining the San Siro.
The defender has settled seamlessly and forced Stefano Pioli to bench regular captain Alessio Romagnoli, which means that a permanent deal is an attractive alternative.
Tomori has settled down quickly | Alessandro Sabattini / Getty Images
Italian journalist Nicolo Ceccarini spoke to milannews.it (quoted by sempremilan.com) and claimed that Tomori’s form is not a surprise for the Milan camp, who had been interested in him before the transfer window in January.
“If Maldini and Massara go towards a goal, it means that they are very convinced of his physical and technical qualities,” he claimed before discussing the difficulties with a permanent agreement.
“Tomori has done very well and I think Milan will try to sign him, but try to lower the agreed amount for the option to buy with Chelsea.”
Milan initially managed to agree on an option to buy the 23-year-old at the end of the loan for a fee of around £ 25 million plus surcharges, but prefer to negotiate a lower fee to secure him beyond the end of the season.
Ceccarini insisted that Milan see him as “right” and is convinced by the England international, thus confirming that he does not doubt Rossoneri’s desire to sign him permanently.
Tomori had only played one Premier League appearance this season for Chelsea before deciding to move abroad in January. He has already made eight appearances in Serie A and played every minute of all four of Milan’s Europa League knockout matches.
His performances have quickly impressed Pioli, but also Milan’s technical director and legendary defender Paolo Maldini, who has been quick to praise his impact since his arrival.
