After being linked to numerous players like Moussa Sissoko, AC Milan have turned their attention to Axel Witsel from Zenit and are interested in bringing him in to the San Siro.
Quality midfield crucial to AC Milan
With the likes of Carlos Bacca and Luiz Adriano at the front for AC Milan this season, the midfield is crucial to Milan's success this year. They already bolster the likes of Jeremy Menez and Keisuke Honda and will look to add that key third player to the squad. Honda has been been linked to numerous Premier League teams, but is now looking like he will stay and probably will continue to play a good amount of minutes even with the potential arrival of Witsel.
Witsel could be a great player for Milan. He is big and agile for his size, can control the midfield and be a good holding midfielder while the likes of Honda go on the attack. Although he may have trouble adjusting initially due to the jump of quality playing in Serie A compared to Russia, expect the Belgian to adapt well enough given a period of time.
Can they get a deal done?
The price tag Zenit have apparently set for Witsel is around £23million, a lot for a player from the Russian League, but given his quality on the field, it would make sense that Zenit want to cash out on the player.
But the problem is that Milan is only willing to spend £20million. They initially said £15million, and have sinced increased their offer. This could be a problem for AC Milan as their unwillingness to spend on midfielders could eventually leave them emptyhanded when the transfer deadline closes. They will have to pay for top quality players and will be expected to pay good money. They had the same problem with Sissoko and now with Witsel.
If Milan are not careful, they could walk away with neither.