GdS: Thiaw and Calabria among five who could be sold in January – the situation | OneFootball

The January transfer window is approaching, and for various players in the AC Milan squad the next two months could be decisive in proving that they deserve to stay.

As La Gazzetta dello Sport (seen below) report this morning, Luka Jovic is the main sale candidate. He was excluded from the squad list for the Champions League and from the close of the summer window onwards he played just 14 minutes in the league, at the end against Lecce with the score 3-0.

Jovic may not be the only one who has to pack his bags because Milan are waiting for some signs especially from Samuel Chukwueze. He was the most expensive signing last summer at €28m including bonuses, but his performance levels have so far fallen significantly short of expectations.

The Nigerian had a positive preseason but when things started to get serious, he practically disappeared: not even a goal or an assist in the 194 minutes played under Paulo Fonseca. At 25 years old and with a convincing past at Villarreal, Samu continues to have admirers around Europe (Everton) and also in Saudi Arabia.

However, his residual value in the accounts means Milan must get at least €14m, and will anyone offer that? Above all, the salary of €4m net per season could be holding back the suitors. This is why, if Chukwueze does not change his pace between now and New Year, a departure on loan cannot be excluded, with an option to buy.

Noah Okafor has shown more, especially coming off the bench. The Swiss striker, however, is not currently fighting for a starting place as the management hoped he would and that is why an offer of around €20m would be taken into consideration, with the Premier League again a possible market.

Malick Thiaw is another exit candidate after the Newcastle links in the summer, but selling him during a difficult moment (he is fourth in the centre-back hierarchies) would mean receiving significantly less than the €30-35m mentioned a few months ago.

A question mark remains over Davide Calabria. The captain’s contract expires in June and in January he could therefore be free to talk to other clubs and yet Milan could consider an immediate sale in January to get at least some capital gain.

It is more complicated to imagine the sale of Ismael Bennacer and/or Alessandro Florenzi, because both are out for a while longer yet after surgery. Divock Origi and Fode Ballo-Toure remain outcasts and can leave.