The noise around Chelsea's Mason Mount and a potential switch to San Siro has been loud enough to turn heads, but those expecting a reunion with forme...
The noise around Chelsea's Mason Mount and a potential switch to San Siro has been loud enough to turn heads, but those expecting a reunion with former teammate Fikayo Tomori need to think again. GoalZaza has learned from transfer insider Matteo Moretto that the England international is simply not on the Rossoneri's shopping list this window. Zero interest. No talks. A clean sweep of the speculation.This clarity from Milan's recruitment team speaks volumes about their strategic direction. After months of watching the clock tick down on Olivier Giroud's deal and scrambling for cover in defence, there is finally a semblance of order. The priority, as we understand it, has been to nail down the centre back situation. The deal for Malick Thiaw's partner in crime That is the Ramos saga. Not the Portuguese showman with the curly hair, but a younger, hungrier project they have identified as the next piece of the jigsaw.So why the cold shoulder for Mount Simple mathematics and tactical fit. The former Chelsea academy graduate operates best as a number eight or a ten, roaming the half spaces and arriving late in the box. But Milan's engine room is already stacked with similar profiles. You have the raw energy of Tijjani Reijnders, the craft of Ruben Loftus Cheek, and the enduring class of Ismael Bennacer when fit. Adding another high wage, high profile player in that zone would be a luxury they cannot afford when the backline is still creaking.What this really tells us is that Paolo Maldini's successors have learned a hard lesson from last summer's scattergun approach. There is a specific type of low block they face week in, week out in Serie A, and a player like Mount, for all his work rate, does not offer the direct threat or the aerial presence that Stefano Pioli's transitional play craves from the middle of the park. The club's stance is clear: fix the spine first, then worry about the garnish. The Ramos deal is the meat and potatoes. Everything else is a side order.Now, that leaves the question of what happens to the midfield budget. Could a more physical, box to box bruiser be on the horizon Or will they trust the current crop to rotate through the Champions League and Scudetto run From where I am sitting, the silence on Mount is actually a loud statement of intent. Milan are building, not just buying. And in this market, that is the only way to avoid the dreaded financial fair play knock on the door.
