AC Milan make 'concrete progress' to ruin Man City's January - Romano

Tom Weber

Updated: 6 Jan 2025 15:21 GMT
3 min read

Pep Guardiola, Man City, 2024/25 — © IMAGO

AC Milan are seemingly on the verge of striking a deal for Torino midfielder Samuele Ricci, according to Fabrizio Romano.

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The Italy international has become one of Serie A's most interesting commodities in recent years. Ricci has developed massively and has taken his game to another level since joining Torino from Empoli in 2022.

The 23-year-old starred for Italy against France earlier in the season and really put his name on the map with his performance, which only served to increase the interest in his services.

Ahead of the January window, Ricci was being heavily linked with a Premier League move as Liverpool and, above all, Man City had reportedly identified him as an ideal option. The latter, of course, are in the market for a Rodri replacement.

AC Milan close in on Ricci

Last week, however, Torino surprised everyone when they announced that they had managed to get Ricci to sign a contract extension, but clarifications were not long in coming.

Shortly after the confirmation of the new deal, Italian media began reporting that Ricci could still leave the club this year due to a 'gentleman's agreement' that stipulated that Torino wouldn't block his exit if their €25 million to €30m asking price was met.

Now, Fabrizio Romano has seemingly confirmed this agreement as he is reporting that AC Milan are on the verge of striking a deal for Ricci that would see him join in the summer.

The transfer insider claims that 'concrete progress' is being made in negotiations and that the two parties are already in 'advanced talks' over personal terms.

Missing out on Ricci would be a major blow for Man City as he was seen as one of the most attainable - and capable - Rodri replacements on the market.