Japhet Tanganga is now considering leaving Tottenham Hotspur during the January transfer window with AC Milan very keen to take the defender to Italy, according to Calciomercato.
Sporting Director Frederic Massara and Technical Director Paolo Maldini are big fans of the 22-year-old as they target defensive reinforcements. The Rossoneri are without their first-choice centre-half in Simon Kjaer after the Dane underwent season-ending knee surgery.
Milan have so far failed in their bid to strengthen manager Stefano Pioli’s side since Kjaer’s operation in December. Lille are blocking Sven Botman leaving the Ligue 1 side. Deals for Manchester United’s Eric Bailly or Paris Saint-Germain’s Abdou Diallo have also stalled.
If AC Milan cannot overcome impasses for Bailly or Diallo they will increase efforts to sign Tanganga from Tottenham. The San Siro hierarchy have remained alert to the Spurs star’s situation throughout January. They first spoke to his agent, Roberto De Fanti, last month.
Tottenham have also shown they are willing to sell Tanganga to AC Milan in the January transfer window. But Managing Director Fabio Paratici has asked that Massara and Maldini wait until next week to hold further talks regarding his potential mid-season switch to Italy.
Tanganga considering Tottenham future amid AC Milan transfer talks
Tottenham would want €25m (£21m) to sell Tanganga to AC Milan in a winter transfer. The north Londoners have also indicated they will consider a loan deal, providing it features an obligation to buy. Any such obligation is likely to hinge on the completion of set objectives.
Tanganga, for his part, is happy and very attached to Spurs after graduating from the club’s academy. But he also acknowledges that Antonio Conte is unlikely to offer him much game time once Cristian Romero recovers from the hamstring injury he sustained in November.
So, the London-born defender – who Jose Mourinho called ‘amazing’ – is now considering his options away from the club. Tanganga made his 18th appearance of the season against Leicester on Wednesday night. But it marked just his 10th Premier League game this term.
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