Milan are reportedly expecting to receive a formal offer from Premier League outfit Newcastle for defender Malick Thiaw, a move which is about equal in its benefits and set-backs for the Rossoneri.
Newcastle are reportedly planning to submit a bid in the region of €30m for the German centre-back, according to updates on Tuesday evening.
Pros and Cons behind Thiaw sale
To start with the positives, a €30m financial boost is not to be sniffed at in the Serie A market. Selling Thiaw will almost certainly make increased funds available for further incomings this summer, and not necessarily just at the back, either.
Milan are also planning on adding 23-year-old Strainhja Pavlovic to their defensive ranks this summer, regardless of what happens with Thiaw, so the money from his sale could be used to strengthen Paulo Fonseca’s side in other areas.
Getting rid of Thiaw also provides Fonseca with a chance to start fresh with his own signings at the back, which could be the start of a real turning point away from Stefano Pioli’s set-up.
And also, if Milan were to bring in Pavlovic, Thiaw’s sale would guarantee him consistent minutes as a starter at San Siro, which will be massively important for a talented, but still improving youngster.
There will be cause for concern for Milan as well, though.
Other teams, particularly Pavlovic’s current club, RB Salzburg, will know that Milan have a need for a replacement defender, and funds to make it happen as well. That could make negotiations for new arrivals slightly more complicated.
Losing Thiaw will also take away a fraction of the speed from the Rossoneri back line. Thiaw has also established himself as a relatively decent ball-carrier out of the back.
The timing is also slightly unfortunate for Milan, as they set off for their pre-season tour of the United States at the end of this week, and are due to play Manchester City on Saturday, so getting new arrivals in before then will be a tricky task.
On top of that, getting his new players to gel and feel comfortable with each other on the pitch in time for the start of the 2024-25 Serie A season will be a touch ask for Fonseca.
Click here to read more about Newcastle’s incoming offer for Thiaw.
No cons to Selling Thiaw. There is only a CON ARTIST. And that’s the person who is convincing Milan that thiaw is anything more than a serie b level defender.
Thiaw is a Serie B Level defender? That is all we say, and they will sell him and bring another defender and after a season we will start calling him too a Serie C level. Italian fans mentality.
This is a 22 years old boy, he is not even a starter, however, the few matches he play we want him to play like Maldini and Sergio Ramos.
I was being nice when I said serie b level. He has not progressed one bit from that last game he played for Hamburg. Absolute liability.
People need to put some respect on Thiaw because he is at the right level for what Milan have become which is and always will be the second team in this city. The derby record alone speaks volume. Plus Thiaw I heard is great at battering cod and cutting chips.
If he was serie b level, serie a should dominate UCL in the last decade.