Milan: David for the attack, also in January

It was November 2nd, and happier dates have been seen. Few, however, are happier than Ronaldinho. That November 2, 2004, Dinho was drawing with Barça against Ancelotti’s AC Milan – Champions League group, nothing bloody – when he decided to destroy a couple of myths. He invented a rubber band between Gattuso and Nesta, then kicked hard with his left foot into the top corner. Dida, let’s say, dived in admiration. Candido Cannavò wrote a book entitled “a stroke of genius” and Jonathan David, an ocean away, at the same moment decided that he would get serious. That day – he said it – he began to dream of the Champions League, which he achieved 17 years later. Now there is the possibility that David will also cross paths with Milan again.

in silence

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Milan has appreciated Jonathan David for years but in the summer, between the Taremi case and the race for the 9th, the attempt to bring him to Milan two years before the natural expiry of the contract went almost unnoticed. Lille didn’t let Furlani and Moncada even reach David’s V and wished everyone a good autumn: “We’ll talk about it again”. Precisely. Milan are more than willing to talk about it again because Olivier Giroud is fantastic, he scores and saves, but he is still 37 years old. And Noah Okafor made it clear that he will never be a number 9 at heart. Yes, there is a possibility that the negotiation for David will take off as early as January, not just in the summer.

because you like it

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David didn’t start the season well: 2 goals in 8 league games, another 2 in the Conference against Olimpia Ljubljana and Rijeka, which are not the two Madrid teams. Not much, for a boy who finished with 24 (league goals) last season. However, the qualities are not erased. David is quick, he scores goals, he has a knack for assists, he finds the goal with his right and left. And he won a championship with Maignan, Botman, Renato Sanches, people he already met at Milanello. Obviously, David is very different from Giroud, he is not the best player in the world at playing with the team but his qualities are visible and at 23 years old there is a lot of time to improve.

how much does it cost

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For this reason, Milan hasn’t stopped thinking about it and a lot will depend on Lille, caught up in the usual dilemma: do I sell a year, a year and a half before the deadline, or do I say no and risk losing him for nothing? The often talked about price – 60 million – will drop. Rumors from October: Lille will ask for at least 40 million, which for Milan is decidedly more accessible. At least one approach will be made in January.

what a story it has

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Jonathan looks attentively. Milan interests him and the transfer would be a good step forward for him. The next ideal stage of a very particular story. JD was born in Brooklyn to a Haitian family and also lived in Haiti before moving to Canada, where opportunities for a boy are like the cold: abundant. Jonathan weathered Ottawa winters, went to Gent and took Canada to its first World Cup. The next step is written: to become the national team’s all-time top scorer, an achievement that at 23 years old is not exactly in everyone’s horoscope.

Ouedraogo

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Speaking of young people, watch out for Germany. Geoffrey Moncada, in the summer of 2022, bet on a German center back from a season as a starter at Schalke in the German second series. He worked there with Maldini and Massara and Malick Thiaw arrived at Milan. A year and a half later, Milan are closely following another German starter from Schalke, who in the meantime has returned to the 2.Bundesliga: it is Assan Ouédraogo, midfielder in 2006 (!). Sky Germany talked about it yesterday and soon there will be a meeting between Milan and Schalke to understand if there are the basis for a negotiation. January isn’t that far away.