Awaken Italian giants Milan want Darwin to help their evolution

AC Milan have had a subdued and ultimately unsuccessful Serie A title bid this season, but it’s still an improvement on what they’ve been serving up to their loyal supporters in the past ten years. Seven-times Champions League winners have are starting to rise again and they want Darwin to aid their development.

They remain interested in 21-year-old Darwin Nunez of Benfica but it appears that the costs of the operation are a stumbling block. According to Calciomercato, directors Ricky Massara and Paolo Maldini have a clear goal for the summer market: to sign Milan a new centre-forward who can alternate with Zlatan Ibrahimovic. The Swede remains a formidable champion but he can no longer offer certainty on the physical level, and during the current season he has had to miss many games due to injury.

Several profiles have ended up on the wish list with some, at the moment, unapproachable like Dusan Vlahovic, while others are more affordable like Olivier Giroud. Darwin Nunez is another interesting name – a player also courted by Napoli and Inter. Milan took an interest in the player last summer while he was at Almeria, but Benfica signed him for $29m plus bonuses, a record-breaking expense for the Portuguese club.

In Lisbon, he has scored 14 goals and added 12 assists but in the last period, also due to an ankle injury, he lost his place as a starter. That’s why a change of clubs could be possible, but the $61m asking price means Milan are no longer active in their pursuit. They consider him a very strong player with potential, but at a cost too high for what the budget allows.

Darwin Nunez hails from Uruguay and is already a full international, having represented his country four times.