Tottenham are plotting a move for AC Milan centre-back Fikayo Tomori this summer, who has been given a ‘new’ asking price ahead of the transfer window, TEAMtalk understands.
Spurs have made signing a new centre-back a priority after injuries to Cristian Romero, Micky van de Ven and Radu Dragusin have exposed their lack of quality cover in the position.
Romero is being linked with moves away from Tottenham, while back-up option Ben Davies is set to leave on a free transfer when his contract expires in the coming months.
TEAMtalk understands that Tomori has been on Tottenham’s radar for some time. They held concrete discussions with Milan over a transfer in January, but a move ultimately didn’t materialise.
The 27-year-old is viewed as a strong and reliable option, per sources, and the fact that he has Premier League experience has put him at the top of Tottenham’s shortlist.
Spurs are expected to move for Tomori again this summer, with the previous price tag set by Milan of €35m (£30m, $38m) to €40m (£34m, $44m) set to be reduced.
Tomori hasn’t been a consistent starter for Milan this season, hence why they’re willing to sell and the defender. His sale would also bring in funds they can spend to strengthen other areas.
AC Milan will accept cut-price Tottenham bid
TEAMtalk understands that Milan are ‘open’ to discussing the sale of Tomori and his ‘new’ asking price is around €30m (£26m, $33m), which is ‘negotiable’, per sources.
The Italian giants, in general, may need to sell one or two other players if they fail to qualify for the Champions League, due to their financial situation.
Milan currently sit in a disappointing ninth place in the Serie A table, nine points adrift from the top four.
TEAMtalk reported in December that Juventus and Newcastle United asked for information about Tomori, ahead of the January window.
Both clubs continue to Tomori’s situation but have taken no further concrete steps toward a transfer.
Tottenham, meanwhile, are in a strong position to sign the five-time capped England international. More talks will be held in the coming weeks and Tomori is a player to keep a close eye on.
Sources state that Tomori is happy with Milan and would like to stay for a long time. The reality is though that if he wants to play consistent minutes again and fight his way into Thomas Tuchel’s England plans, he may have to move elsewhere.
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IN FOCUS: Why has Tomori fallen out of favour at AC Milan?
Tomori’s move from Chelsea to AC Milan in 2021 turned out to be one of the big unexpected success stories in recent memory for any English player – even if he never got the recognition many felt he deserved from Gareth Southgate.
After making the move permanent ahead of the 2021-22 season, Tomori went on to win the Scudetto with the Rossoneri, playing in 31 of their 38 league games along the way.
He was even busier during their failed title defence of 2022-23 and retained Stefano Pioli’s trust last season as well, until the head coach’s departure.
Tomori was expected to be one of the players that Pioli’s replacement, Paulo Fonseca, would build around at San Siro – but as with many things for Milan this season, the expectation has been different to reality.
Fonseca gave Tomori starts in Milan’s first three Serie A matches this season, as well as the captain’s armband for the third, and after being benched against Venezia on matchday four, Tomori went on to start three consecutive games again.
That spell ended in their first game of October. Tomori didn’t start again in the league until January, in the game just after Fonseca had been sacked.
So, what happened in between? Even some inside Milan have struggled to put their finger on it. First, Tomori was embroiled in some drama on his last Serie A start under Fonseca against Fiorentina, when intervening in a controversial move by Tammy Abraham to take a penalty instead of Christian Pulisic.
But that alone didn’t seem big enough of a factor for Milan to freeze Tomori out. There were other contributing reasons; the improving form of Matteo Gabbia and Malick Thiaw, while Tomori’s own form was declining, was timed to his detriment.
Under Sergio Conceicao, Tomori has followed a similar pattern. He started five of the first six Serie A games since Fonseca’s sacking, but was sent off in the sixth against Empoli and after serving his suspension was an unused sub for the next six league games.
Tomori insisted in February that he was happy to stay at Milan as long as he was wanted there. “In the end I am the one who comes to the training centre every day, and I feel good here, I feel at home,” he told La Gazzetta Dello Sport.
“In these four years I have won two trophies, we could have won more. Now we have a stronger team, I feel good here. As long as they don’t tell me to leave, I am happy here.”
The problem is that Tomori is slipping out of Milan’s plans, at an age (27) when he should be moving into the prime of his career.
His inconsistency has become more apparent in recent months. On average, in Serie A, he is being dribbled past more often than last season and blocking fewer shots. Furthermore, he is being dispossessed more frequently.
There are statistical areas in which he has improved, but that could also be skewed slightly by the decreasing number of minutes he’s playing for. And that number could be the most telling of all.
Tomori is not a lost cause and still has some good years ahead of him, but the boost he got from moving to Milan seems to have worn off by now. Perhaps it will be time for his next challenge soon.