AC Milan have reportedly been put off by Chelsea’s demands of €25m for midfielder Cesc Fabregas, but the Spaniard remains their top target.
After Yonghong Li completed his takeover of the Rossoneri last week, he is expected to fund a significant recruitment drive this summer.
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According to Calciomercato, Fabregas is seen as the perfect player to fill a pivotal role in the heart of the midfield, while also bringing experience and a winning mentality to the squad to complement the young stars coming through.
However, despite talk of a verbal agreement being in placed since January, the report goes on to suggest that Milan aren’t so keen on the €25m asking price, with the Spaniard still having a contract until 2019 which puts Chelsea in a strong position to make their demands.
Further, Antonio Conte will want as much money as possible from the deal to reinvest in the squad to bolster his own midfield, and so it could prove trickier than first thought to prise Fabregas away from Stamford Bridge.
It’s added that the former Barcelona and Arsenal man is asking for a salary of €4.5m a year plus bonuses, and so this could be the first real test of Li’s financial strength and ambitions for the club if this is a target that Milan are keen to add to Vincenzo Montella’s squad.
There are still question marks over the new hierarchy, and those will only disappear once they become active in the transfer market and prove that they have deep pockets. Nevertheless, Fabregas could well be the first of many new faces at Milanello this summer.