Milan to splash €30m on Barca defender
AC Milan are reportedly prepared to spend €30m (£26m) to sign Barcelona defender Andreas Christensen.
The Blaugrana are believed to be looking to sell a first-team player to help meet La Liga’s Financial Fair Play rules and finalise the registrations of all of their unregistered players.
Marc Casado was linked with a move away, before Barcelona boss sent a clear message to the club’s hierarchy by starting him in Saturday’s clash with Levante.
Attacking midfielder Fermin Lopez has emerged as a contender for a potential sale, with Chelsea believed to be evaluating a move for the Spain international. However, Flick is also reluctant to lose someone of Fermin’s quality, especially as he adds valuable depth to the number 10 position.
With that in mind, Barcelona could look to sell an alternative player before the summer transfer window slams shut next week.
According to Fichajes, Christensen could be the one to depart amid significant interest from Italian giants AC Milan.The report claims that Massimiliano Allegri’s side have launched an attempt to sign the Denmark international in the closing stages of the window.
Milan are said to be willing to spend €30m (£26m) to sign a player who has entered the final year of his Barcelona contract.
The Rossoneri are keen to recruit an experienced defender to aid their bid to return to the Champions League following last season’s disappointing eighth-place finish.
Barcelona could entertain the 29-year-old’s departure, especially as he is not guaranteed to start in Flick’s side.They would also be able to retain the services of Casado and Fermin if they can raise funds by offloading the Danish centre-back.
However, Flick will be concerned about being left light in defence, having already seen Inigo Martinez leave for Al-Nassr earlier this month.If Christensen were to join Milan, Flick would be left with Ronald Araujo, Pau Cubarsi and Eric Garcia as his main central defensive options.
While Kounde can also play as a centre-back, Barcelona would likely have to promote from their youth system or sign a new defender in the event of Christensen’s departure.
