Milan Open to Selling Young Defender as West Ham Join Race | OneFootball

Milan defender Malick Thiaw could depart Stadio San Siro in the coming months, with the Rossoneri ready to listen to offers for the German star. Per Tuttosport via PianetaMilan, West Ham United could be the 23-year-old’s next destination.

Thiaw left his homeland to join Milan from Schalke 04 in the summer of 2022 for a reported fee of only €5 million plus add-ons. Fast forward three years, he may leave Serie A for six times that figure, with the Coppa Italia finalists slapping a €30m price tag on his shoulders.

Despite his potential, Thiaw has failed to establish himself as a permanent first-team fixture at Milan. That has been particularly true since Sergio Conceicao replaced Paulo Fonseca at the steering wheel in January. With Strahinja Pavlovic and Matteo Gabbia ahead of the German ace in the pecking order, Milan could allow him to leave.

Heavily linked with a return to his home country, Thiaw has drawn inquiries from Bundesliga giants Bayer Leverkusen and Bayern Munich. However, his future could be in the Premier League, with West Ham joining the race for the Milan center-back after Jean-Clair Todibo failed to meet expectations.

In addition to Thiaw, Milan could offload Fikayo Tomori in the summer. Therefore, the Italian heavyweights are in the market for defensive reinforcements. Leicester City’s Caleb Okoli and Valencia’s Cristhian Mosquera have emerged as viable candidates to compensate for potential exits.

Okoli could be available in a cut-price deal after the Foxes suffered relegation from the Premier League, with Milan keeping close tabs on the situation.