Hakim Ziyech was Man of the Match when Morocco beat Charles De Ketelaere’s Belgium 2-0 at the World Cup, increasing calls from Milan fans to sign him from Chelsea.
The rumours have been circulating ever since the summer, when Ziyech was already eager to join the San Siro side.
Instead, the directors opted to pour all their resources into purchasing De Ketelaere from Club Brugge for €35m plus bonuses and so far he has failed to make any impact.
De Ketelaere came off the bench this afternoon for Belgium and was barely visible, while Ziyech was named FIFA Man of the Match.
The 29-year-old had made only nine appearances for Chelsea so far this season, with just two of those from the start, and is clearly not part of their plans.
Milan should be able to get Ziyech on loan with an option to buy at the end of the season.
He plays as a trequartista behind the strikers, but also on the right flank, where the Rossoneri have struggled to match the intensity of the left wing with Rafael Leao and Theo Hernandez.
Brahim Diaz, Alexis Saelemaekers and Junior Messias are options in that role for Stefano Pioli.
The Morocco game also presented another possible alternative for Milan, as Abdelhamid Sabiri scored a direct free kick from the tightest of angles.
Sampdoria need to sell Sabiri in January to raise funds and he only cost €1m to sign from Ascoli, so is another intriguing alternative.