The speculation surrounding the future of Dutchman Nigel de Jong may finally be about to end, as he looks set to sign a new contract at AC Milan.
His current contract is due to expire on June 30th, and he was expected to leave up until around a fortnight ago, with teams such as Manchester United interested in acquiring his services.
Such interest either was never present or has cooled significantly, causing de Jong to do a U-turn on his stance and seek a new deal for a few years.
The former Ajax, Hamburg and Manchester City man earns €3.5million per year under his current deal, and while the exact details of his new deal are yet to be confirmed, it is expected he will earn a similar amount with two years added, taking him through to June 2017 with the Rossoneri.
End of the race for Kondogbia?
Galliani had seemingly made it a priority to get some help in the midfield for Milan, with the likes of Geoffrey Kondogbia and Giannelli Imbula of Monaco and Marseille respectively linked to the Italian giants.
However, de Jong's new contract may have put those discussions on hold, as it is difficult to see AC splashing huge money on players when they have spent a significant amount keeping Nigel at the San Siro.
In addition, interest from Arsenal for Kondogbia and rivals Internazionale for both Kondogbia and Imbula has seen a situation where Milan get either become increasingly unlikely, so extending the deal perhaps makes sense.
Important presence?
NDJ has made 90 appearances in total for Milan, providing a key role on and off the pitch for Il Diavolo.
He was considered one of the only encouragements from a poor season during 2014/15, and has provided an anchor in the middle of the park for the past couple of years that cannot be understated.
Few will forget his important contributions, such as scoring the winner with a header during the Derby della Madonnina of 2014, and a breakaway goal against Parma earlier this season that showed his desire for the team.