Milan want Chelsea’s Tomori on a permanent basis, but not for current asking price

Martin Macdonald

• Updated: 12 Aug 2021 14:08 BST
• 2 min read

Milan director Paolo Maldini says the club are interested in a permanent move for Chelsea defender Fikayo Tomori.

The Rossoneri were desperate for some defensive reinforcements in the January transfer window and brought in Tomori from Stamford Bridge on loan until the end of the season, with a reported option-to-buy clause inserted in the deal.

The asking price in the deal currently stands at £26m (€30m), and although Milan are keen to complete a transfer for the central defender, they plan on negotiating that fee down with Chelsea.

“Tomori is a good talent and we have a buy-option clause,” Maldini revealed to Sky Italia.

“The price is very high. AC Milan will decide at the end of this season and we will discuss it with Chelsea’s board.

“Tomori is a player who has particular characteristics of speed and intensity and for us, he was a reinforcement.”

Tomori is a product of Chelsea’s youth academy, but like every youth academy product at Stamford Bridge, has been sent out on loan various times to aid his development.

Between 2017 and 2019 he has spells away from the club at Brighton, Hull, and Derby, before becoming a member of the first-team squad with the Blues.

His most productive season with Chelsea came in the 2019/20 campaign under new manager Frank Lampard, who was eager to give the young, homegrown players within the squad a chance.

He started 15 matches in the Premier League that season, but fell drastically out of favour heading into the 2020/21 campaign, with new signing Thiago Silva and Kurt Zouma preferred in the centre of defence.

Tomori impressing at Milan

Up until his January move to Milan, Tomori had played just 44 minutes of football in the Premier League in the first half of the season, which is why Chelsea were willing to let him leave on loan.

He has made a decent start to life in Serie A, having started three games in the Italian top-flight since moving to the San Siro.

So far, he is averaging 1.2/1.8 tackles won per 90 minutes, 3.4/4.9 aerial duels won per 90, and 5.8/8.9 ground duels won per 90.

Chelsea manager Thomas Tuchel, who replaced Lampard at the turn of the year, previously claimed he hadn’t given much thought to Tomori’s future at the club, instead focusing on players who were there at the moment.