Milan are increasingly desperate to get rid of Divock Origi, but he continues to turn down offers from Saudi Arabia, while another issue with his cost to the club emerges.
The Belgium international arrived as a free agent last summer after his contract with Liverpool ran down.
He was injured for much of it, though still managed to contribute two goals and one assist in 36 competitive games for the club.
Now 28, he is not part of the Rossoneri’s plans for this season and has already been linked with a move back to the Premier League for West Ham United or Saudi Arabia for Al-Ettifaq.
Because he was a free agent, Milan are prepared to let Origi go for even the most minimal of fees, as the important thing is to get his wages off the books.
His contract runs to June 2026 and is worth €4m per season net.
Milan were initially aided by the ‘growth decree’ that allows clubs to pay only 50 per cent of the taxes on players coming into Italy from abroad.
However, that only applies if the player remains on Italian soil for at least two years in a row.
Nonetheless, selling Origi would still be a big saving over the length of his contract of circa €13.3m.
Remember saying long ago on here that he would be a mistake. What a dreadful contract for such a mediocre player (at best).