According to Calcio Mercato, a major transfer news source in Italy, AC Milan have an interest in Lille winger Jonathan Ikone. Negotiations likely will not start until the summer transfer window. With that being said, Milan are positioned to have a solid budget as Champions League qualification is a real possibility. There’s no time to waste now.
AC Milan Interested in Jonathan Ikone
What Ikone Would Bring to AC Milan
The Rossoneri‘s attack is quite good. They’ve been struggling recently, but have excelled for the majority of the season. This, of course, is due in large part to Zlatan Ibrahimovic. When he’s healthy, which hasn’t been the majority of the season, he remains a deadly striker. Hakan Calhanoglu is also a creative genius but has been struggling with injuries. Lastly, youngster Rafael Leão is showing immense improvement.
Milan need help on the wing. Ante Rebic, a star last season, isn’t living up to his expectations this year. On the other side, Alexis Saelemaekers is a solid option, but best suited as a depth player. Samu Castillejo just doesn’t cut it.
Ikone is a speedster who excels at cutting in and taking on defenders. He could easily bolster Milan’s counter-attacking options. Besides that, a player of his ability would thrive with a hold-up striker like Ibrahimovic. He shone versus Milan in the Europa League group stages, which is one of the reasons for their interest. Lastly, Ikone is on the right timeline as he is just 22-years-old. Milan can build a special attack for the future with Leão alongside the Frenchman.
The Potential Deal
Ikone could likely be bought in the €30-35 million range. In modern football that may sound like a steal, but a deal like that would be amongst the highest in Milan’s history. With that being said, transfer values have inflated tenfold during the time that Milan has been in deep financial issues.
It’s a worthy investment for the club. They’re finally showing signs of being at the top again, have to keep the gas running now. The right-wing has been a major position of need for a while, and Ikone solves that problem for potentially more than a few years.
This also would not be the first time Milan purchases a player who has performed well against them. Ismael Bennacer, Franck Kessie, and Sandro Tonali are all examples. In addition, Leão is a former Lille man himself. They produce talented forwards, and Ikone is another example. This summer is the time for Milan to pounce and return to glory.
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