FC Porto Transfer Market: Amorim's AC Milan Uncompromising with Giménez and Two Others

Gerry Cardinale, AC Milan owner, guided by Ruben Amorim, has taken an unyielding stance regarding Fikayo Tomori, Youssouf Fofana, and... Santiago Giménez, a target for FC Porto. Gazzetta dello Sport reported on Thursday that these three players are out of the club's sporting project, even if they are not transferred before the summer transfer window closes in Italy on September 2nd.

The decision from the Rossoneri's leadership is clear: if they remain at the club, the trio will train separately from the main squad and will have no chance of playing. Evidence of this drastic measure is that none of the three were included in AC Milan's official squad list for the start of Serie A.

Giménez has been awaiting a solution to move to Porto for several days. The main obstacle, according to the publication, is the lack of agreement between the clubs. The Italian side rejected an initial offer from the Dragons, which involved a loan with a purchase option set at €15 million. AC Milan is seeking at least €5 million more and conditions that would make the purchase option mandatory. Discussions are ongoing, but without significant progress from the blue and whites.

Tomori's situation, in particular, is complex. The English center-back has one year left on his contract, with a net salary of €3.5 million per season. Unlike his teammates, he cannot be loaned out without first renewing his contract, a scenario considered unlikely. Interestingly, despite earning a higher salary than Fofana and Giménez, his cost to the club is lower (€4.55 million annually) due to tax benefits. The decision to sideline him was made by Ruben Amorim, with Cardinale's backing.

Regarding Fofana, interest has primarily come from the Premier League, with clubs like Nottingham Forest, Crystal Palace, and more recently, Brighton, expressing interest. However, no formal offer has been presented to the Italian giants, who value the midfielder between €15 and €20 million. The player, for his part, has ruled out a return to France. His net salary of €3 million is not seen as an obstacle, but the absence of concrete negotiations keeps his future uncertain.

With six days remaining until the transfer window closes, AC Milan's management hopes to resolve these three cases, which join the already confirmed departures of Odogu and Nkunku, also deemed surplus to requirements.