AC Milan to sell first-team player in order to sign Rakitic

AC Milan have prioritized the signing of Barcelona midfielder Ivan Rakitic but a sacrifice could be made to land the Croatia star.

For several days, Ivan Rakitic is the only player on AC Milan’s orbit. The 31-year-old midfielder is set to leave Barcelona in January and the Rossoneri would love to welcome him with open arms. AC Milan desperately need an experienced player to help the midfield but also act as a leader in the locker room.

Zvonimir Boban, chief football officer of AC Milan, has reportedly already made contacts with his compatriot regarding a future move. However, the operation is far from easy. The economic costs are not negligible for a club that has a constant budget in red. Rakitic is valued at around 30 million euros by Barcelona and receives an annual salary of nearly €8 million.

According to Tuttosport, that’s not stopping Maldini and Boban to make an attempt for the Croatia international. The Italian sports newspaper reports that AC Milan will propose a loan move with the obligation to sign at the end of the season. AC Milan are expected to sign 2-3 players in January and want to avoid spending all their budget on one single player. That’s why a sacrifice could be made to bring in Rakitic.

In order to finance a €25-30 million move for Raktic AC Milan need to sell one first-team player and that player may be Franck Kessie. The Ivorian midfielder is valued at 30 million and Premier League clubs are interested in him, especially Wolverhampton. AC Milan expect concrete offers to evaluate and then make a final decision.

In his third season at San Siro, Franck Kessie is still struggling to cement himself as an imposing figure in midfield. AC Milan need more than physical presence from Kessie but the 22-year-old central midfielder has failed to provide something extra. Hopefully Rade Kuric will do better in that position.

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