Chelsea of England defender, Fikayo Tomori is set to seal a loan move from London to AC Milan of Italy this weekend, as La Rossoneri’s sporting director, Paolo Maldini has confirmed his club’s move for the Nigerian-born lad, megasports arena.com reports.
With the 23-year-old Tomori eager to get a new lease of life elsewhere, after failing to get into The Blues’ regular squad this season, Maldini has now disclosed that his Milan-based Italian Serie A club are closing in on a deal for the dark-skinned stopper, who was born to Nigerian parents in Canada.
Independent reports indicate that the agreement taking Tomori to Milan includes an option to buy for £25m, which is considered a fair bargain by Maldini’s team, who are currently facing a defensive crisis with Alessio Romagnoli suspended while Simon Kjaer and Matteo Gabbia are in the treatment room.
Consequently , a report by Sky Italian revealed that Milan are quite keen on signing Tomori before they battle Atalanta on Saturday, ahead of which the Chelsea academy graduate will fly to Italy for his medical and join the side that currently sit three points clear at the top of the Serie A rankings.
The report adds that Milan are determined to wrap up a deal for Tomori within 48 hours, with a hint that the stopper could even make his Italian league debut against Atalanta, before which he will undertake his medical on Friday morning.
It would, therefore, be instant action for Tomori in a Milan side that appears to be doing well, as they currently sit three points clear at the top of the Serie A rankings, but have moved to lure in a player that has made only four appearances for Frank Lampard’s side all season, and his only starts have been in the EFL Carabao Cup.
However, while Tomori is expected in the coming hours to seal a deal with Milan, another Nigerian-born youngster, Karim Adeyemi has opted to stay put in Austria, but a thorny issue about costing has erupted in Ademola Lookman’s aspirations for a full contract t Fulham from his parent club, RB Leipzig of Germany.
Lookman will now have to pray fervently for an agreement to be reached between Fulham and Leipzig, but Tomori is already set to join Milan in a six month loan transfer worth £27m, ahead of which the Nigerian-born stopper will soon fly to The Land of The Azzurri to seal the move.
The 23-year-old is eager to take his trade elsewhere in search of regular laying time, having made just four appearances for The Blues in all competitions this season, and Italian sports journalist, Fabrizio Romano says Tomori’s loan move to Milan will be completed this weekend on a six-month deal that includes an option to buy for £27m.
It means he has snubbed the chance of continuing his career development in the EPL, as the duo of Newcastle United and Leeds United had shown interest in him but the Nigerian-born England international wanted to try his mettle outside the British Isle.
On the other hand, Lookman has been slammed with a 15m pound price tag by his parent club, RB Leipzig of Germany, who are eager to get a huge profit on the lad they bought from Everton of England last season but quickly loaned to The Cottagers.
Lookman’s loan deal at Craven Cottage occurred on account of his inability to replicate at Leipzig the form he had during a loan spell from Everton, such that the German Bundesliga high-flying club are ready to sell him off, but they will not do so for cheap.
Consequently, a report by British newspaper, The Sun revealed that Fulham will have to cough out 15 million pounds for the 2017 FIFA U20 World Cup winner with England’s youth national team, who was loaned out to The Cottagers during the summer transfer window.
In contrast with his struggles during his full contract at Leipzig, Lookman has been in excellent form since returning to the English Premier League, with two goals and three assists to his name in 14 matches, which makes him a high prospect for a full contract at Craven Cottage.
In the same vein, the hierarchy at Fulham is reportedly open to signing the Nigerian-born winger on a full deal, but that would depend on whether they retain their top-flight status at the end of the current campaign and if they would be ready to cough out the princely transfer fe Leipzig are asking for.
Lookman has three-and-a-half years left on his contract with Leipzig, which he formally joined from Everton in 2019, but everything is pointing in a new lease of life for the former Charlton Athletic of England youngster, who lasted the distance last Saturday in Fulham’s 1-0 defeat by Chelsea in a west London derby.
Meanwhile, 18-year-old Adeyemi has explained why he opted not to accept any big money offer last summer and in the January transfer window, as he believe he has not achieved as much as he should at his current base, megasportsarena.com reports.
The Nigerian-born lad, who was born in Munich, Germany, added that he wants to achieve a lot more with Salzburg, which he joined in the summer of 2018, hence his decision to snub Chelsea of England and a host of other suitors that came hunting for his signature.
Adeyemi, who was born in Germany to a Nigerian father and Romanian mother, is stil eligible to feature for Germany, Nigeria and Romania, though he has already played for Germany’s under-16 and under-17 national teams.
The youngster, who has made 19 league appearances for Salzburg this season and scored two goals, made it clear that he wants to be his own man and that he cannot compare himself to Norway international, Ering Haaland.
Interestingly, Adeyemi and Haaland were teammates at Salzburg, before the Norway whiz-kid joined Dortmund in January 2020 after turning down a move to 20-time premier league winners Manchester United, but the Nigerian-born lad wants to cut his own identity.
A report by allnigeriasoccer.com added: “The Germany youth international has since gone on to make his debuts in the UEFA Champions League, Europa League, Austrian Bundesliga and OFB Cup since joining Red Bull Salzburg, racking up 25 appearances in total at the age of eighteen.
“Adeyemi is on the radar of the likes of Barcelona, Chelsea and Bayern Munich following his first team breakthrough and he has admitted that his Nigerian father and Romanian mother are assisting him remain focused and not get carried away.”
The vibrant lad, who got 15 goals and 12 assists for Salzburg’s youth club, FC Liefering, before he was promoted to the first team last season, told Sport 1: “It’s not that difficult to stay on the ground.
“I haven’t achieved anything yet, even though I’m now playing in the first division in Austria. It is important to me that I play regularly. My focus is currently on the Austrian league. I am fully focused on the task in Salzburg.”
