AC Milan have been repeatedly linked with Arsenal’s Oleksandr Zinchenko over the past week or so as they look for a new left-back.
The 28-year-old is seen as a Rossoneri option who won’t cost too much and who can be versatile and play in other positions when required. Wednesday’s edition of Gazzetta dello Sport brings up an alternative, Tottenham Hotspur’s Destiny Udogie.
At this point it’s worth rewinding back to last month, and reiterating what the player’s agent, Stefano Antonelli, said to the Italian media at the time.
Antonelli was quoted as saying: “It’s the second year of an incredible experience at Tottenham, where he’s always played: talking about vertical growth is absolutely in line with reality.
“He’s a player who could play in all the top European clubs. With the conquest of the Champions League, next season will be completely different.
“The transfer market is always open in all directions. Now I challenge anyone to go and buy Udogie from Tottenham for a sum less than €50m. Which Italian team can do it lightly?
“In Italy many players have arrived from the Premier League who have done not well, but very well, look at Anguissa, Lukaku, Tomori, to name a few. McTominay is a player of another category. Players who perhaps had little space in England: how can you think of going to take a Tottenham regular? Something special has to happen for the club to let him go.
“Translated: either a large amount of money, or because he is not part of the technical plans. As of today, I think I can exclude the second hypothesis.”
Perhaps AC Milan and/or Gazzetta dello Sport have completely forgotten those comments.
The Italian newspaper state Tottenham would be asking for over €30m, and add: ‘What seems impossible today, could become possible at the end of August.’
That is very unlikely indeed.
Udogie’s market value is surely well in excess of €30m, closer to the €50m his agent suggested, and there’s no signs that either the player’s camp or Tottenham have any plans for a transfer whatsoever.
Given all of that, the claims of a relatively cheap deal are laughable, and taking Zinchenko from Arsenal looks the much likelier transfer.