AC Milan's Stephan El Shaarawy is set to swap Italy for France as he is reportedly set to join AS Monaco, according to Sky Sports.
Deal nearing completion
The Italian winger could undergo a medical as early as Sunday or early next week, after his agent and brother Manuel held talks with the club on Friday evening. The 22-year-old Italy international is the subject of a proposal worth €15m-€18million plus possible bonuses for a total €20m fee.
Stephan arrived at the San Siro from Genoa back in 2011 as one of the brightest young prospects in world football, but injuries have stagnated his career and overall progress.
Injuries hurt el Shaarawy's progress
El Shaarawy missed three months of last season after fracturing a metatarsal in his right foot, which only saw him make 18 Serie A appearances with a return of just three goals and assists in that time. There was also reports that the new Milan coach Sinisa Mihajlovic wanted to change the Italian’s position from out wide to a more central midfield position.
Shaarawy is reported to be brought in as Monaco look to replace Yannick Ferreira-Carrasco who made the move from the Stade Louis II to La Liga giants Atlético Madrid on Friday.
If the move was to be completed, the Rossoneri would reinvest their money to help bolster their defence with a reported increased offer for AS Roma defender Alessio Romagnoli.
The rest of the transfer fee would go towards helping launch an audacious bid to bring current Paris Saint-Germain striker Zlatan Ibrahimović back to Italy.
They are reportedly locked in a battle with City rivals Inter for the Swedish striker who only has one year left on his current contract in Paris.
AC Milan have splashed the cash so far this summer with a grand total of 22 players coming in, with strikers Carlos Bacca and Luiz Adriano been the best of the bunch coming in from Sevilla and Shakhtar Donetsk respectively.