Alessio Romagnoli has been subject to major interest from AC Milan this transfer season. The Rossoneri have lodged multiple bids for his services in their plot to snag a long-term defender, but to no avail. With Roma not looking like budging from their sky-high asking fee, Milan may have to start looking for alternatives to the 20-year-old.
Romagnoli is certainly not the only quality young center back on the market, and with the money Milan have shown a willingness to splash on their top target, there are plenty of possible players to add to the Milanese club’s back line. Three defenders in particular stand out as the favorites to join the club: Fiorentina’s Stefan Savic, Torino’s Nikola Maksimovic, and Lyon’s Samuel Umtiti.
Stefan Savic
Fiorentina’s Montenegrin defender has been the subject of much transfer speculation this season, with clubs ranging from Atletico Madrid to Manchester United allegedly interested in Savic’s services. The former Manchester City man has been a constant presence in the Viola defense, racking up over 100 appearances since arriving from England in the summer of 2012. With Fiorentina reportedly wanting around €18 million for Savic, Milan could acquire themselves a fairly young, established defender for a fraction of Romagnoli’s cost. A handful in the air, Savic would make a great partnership with a heavier-built and harder-hitting defensive partner like Philippe Mexes who would provide cover for Savic’s defensive lapses. Though he has his faults and slips in concentration, Savic has frequently turned up big for Fiorentina in the club’s major matches as an intelligent and capable center back. €18 million may come off as a bit pricey, but if 24-year-old’s performances with his current club are anything to go off of, a few years down the line this fee will be seen as a bargain.
Nikola Maksimovic
With each passing day and each rejected bid for Romagnoli, Torino’s Nikola Maksimovic inches closer and closer to Milan. Allegedly the club’s number one alternative to the Roma defender, Maksimovic has caught the eyes of several Italian clubs following his two fantastic seasons under the tutelage of Giampiero Ventura. Though frequently overshadowed by his teammates, first Alessio Cerci and Ciro Immobile and then Kamil Glik and Matteo Darmian, the Serbian international has been a massive defensive contributor in the club’s recent phenomenal league finishes. Though not the flashy goal-scoring center back that his partner Glik is, Maksimovic has been just as important in securing results for the Granata, coming up huge in both Europa League and Serie A play. With a reported €15 million price tag set by his team for the 23-year-old’s services, Milan would be getting themselves a young yet experienced center back with solid skills on the ball for half of Romagnoli’s fee. Unlike Savic, Maksimovic is much better rounded, with fewer flaws in his style of play. A fantastic distributor of the ball and a reserved, yet tough tackler, if Milan decide to only buy one new defender and focus their mercato attention elsewhere, Maksimovic would be an inexpensive and fantastic option.
Samuel Umtiti
The young Frenchman has unsurprisingly been bombarded with transfer rumours and offers from various clubs after shepherding Olympique Lyon’s backline during the club’s second-placed Ligue 1 finish. Though he was certainly not Lyon’s only star, he was undoubtedly one of the brightest, and alongside Nabil Fekir laid claim to the title of last season’s top breakout performer. Already a handful for the opposition despite his youth, Umtiti isn’t particularly tall, yet his height disadvantage has not stopped him from being a fearsome force against more sizable opponents. Despite not being capped by the senior French team yet, Umtiti is a leader in the nation’s under-21 setup, captaining Pierre Mankowski’s side throughout the Euro 2015 qualification stages. Umtiti would likely cost Milan around €25 million, which is what the club wants to pay for Romagnoli right now. However, if Roma continue demanding upwards of €30 million for their coveted defender, bringing in Umtiti for a similar price would not be the worst possible scenario. Umtiti would still be pricy just like his Italian counterpart, but just like with Romagnoli, Milan would have themselves a first-team center back for the coming decade.
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