
Chelsea defender Fikayo Tomori has emerged as a target for AC Milan after manager Frank Lampard gave the green light for him to leave on loan for the rest of the season, The Guardian reports.
The England international made his breakthrough with the Blues last term where he made 22 appearances across all competitions, 15 of which came in the Premier League.
However, he has struggled for regular game time this season and he has been restricted to just four appearances in all competitions and has played only 10 minutes of first-team football over the past 100 days.
Hence, he has been given the go-ahead to pursue a temporary move elsewhere and the Rossoneri have him on their wishlist as they look to strengthen their central defensive options this month.
The Rossoneri have excelled in the Serie A this term and they are presently at the top of the league standings with 40 points, three ahead of cross-town rivals Inter Milan.
Strasbourg’s Mohamed Simakan has been identified as their top target to bolster the central defensive department, but they face stiff competition from RB Leipzig, who are likewise competing for the Bundesliga.
Should a deal fall through, it is claimed that Tomori could emerge as an option for Stefano Pioli’s side, who are aiming to win the Italian top-flight title after a decade-long wait.
Tomori was the subject of interest from West Ham United, Rennes and Everton last summer. He was widely fancied to join the Hammers on loan before deadline day, but he rejected them after failing to receive assurances of a starting role.
That has proved a costly decision for him, considering he has barely played for the Blues this season with the fierce competition from Thiago Silva, Kurt Zouma, Andreas Christensen and Antonio Rudiger.
Alessio Romagnoli and Simon Kjaer have been regular choices at the heart of the Rossoneri defence this season and Tomori could find it difficult to displace the duo in the short-term.
It will be interesting to see whether the former Derby County loanee will accept a temporary move to the Rossoneri without the guarantee of a starting spot which was the case with the Hammers in October last year.
Stats from Transfermarkt.com
