It is highly anticipated that AC Milan would shortly name Lille coach Paulo Fonseca as their new manager, ushering in a contentious new chapter in the team’s history.
At the conclusion of the 2023–24 Serie A season, RedBird capital fired Stefano Pioli. During that season, Milan finished second in the league but shamefully behind rival Inter Milan in the race for the Scudetto.
Pioli’s dismissal was predicted, although many Milan supporters thought the team would sign a clear upgrade rather than Fonseca, who struggled in Serie A when playing for Roma despite having a strong 2023–24 season with Lille.
At least Fonseca can help now, as it seems Milan is trying to sign right back Tiago Santos, one of his top targets from Lille.
A rumor from La Repubblica claims that AC Milan has already reached an agreement with the Brazilian star, meaning that Tiago Santos’s deal has already been finalized.
The main issue is that Milan will have more difficulty convincing Lille to sell than it will be to sign Santos on a personal contract, particularly given the Fonseca link.
Les Dogues wants to sell the 21-year-old to the Serie A powerhouses for 15 million euros, while Milan reportedly made Lille an offer of 8 million euros.
It’s difficult to see Milan getting away with signing Tiago Santos for less than 15 million euros, much less less than 10 million euros, given Santos’ age and value at right back.
Given that Santos was among the top fullbacks in Ligue 1 the previous season, 15 million euros seems like a fair asking price for the 21-year-old.
If Milan are serious about Tiago Santos as an upgrade above Davide Calabria, then the huge issue with the nearly double difference between offer and asking price may not be as large of a concern. After all, Milan will have to budge significantly.
If not, Milan might choose to sign Marius Wolf, a Dortmund “right back,” for nothing instead of spending more money, but it isn’t the prudent course of action in this case.
