AC Milan have emerged as the favourites to sign Zenit St Petersberg’s central midfielder Axel Witsel.
Italian publication La Gazzetta Dello Sport, have claimed that Milan will bid £21m for the player – who is also a target for Premier League title-holders, Chelsea and also Manchester United.
The news of the potential Witsel deal comes a few hours after the Serie A club have a £53m transfer kitty to spend this summer, as they look to overhaul their playing squad.
Milan finished tenth last term – and are willing to back the recently appointed Siniša Mihajlović, as they look to bring the glory days back to the San Siro, after years in the wilderness of a league now dominated by Juventus.
26-year-old Witsel wants to leave Russia for pastures new this summer, and has already discussed a move to one of the top leagues in Western Europe.
With Witsel’s intentions to leave the oil-rich Zenit in the transfer window, the player himself is said to be open to a move to either the English, or Italian top-flight.
Chelsea are eyeing a £24m deal for him, though Milan value the internationally capped midfielder at £3m less than their English rivals.
In a bitter blow to their upcoming plans in the transfer market, club CEO Adriano Galliani revealed that AS Monaco‘s Geoffrey Kondogbia had snubbed a move to both them and Arsenal, in favour to sign for Milan’s cross-city rivals, Inter.
Galliani also stated that they had lost the battle to sign FC Porto‘s Colombian forward Jackson Martinez – with Arsenal and Atletico Madrid now toe-to-toe for his signature.
by Ben Reardon
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