AC Milan just dropped nearly €70 million on Goncalo Ramos from PSG, a club-record signing that tells you the Rossoneri aren’t messing around this summer. But they’re not done yet. The next priority is defense, and according to reports out of Italy, the conversation has taken a genuinely surprising turn.
Zlatan Ibrahimovic, who works as a senior advisor at Milan now, has his eyes on Liverpool’s Virgil van Dijk. That’s not a name you’d normally associate with a club that’s been careful with spending. But van Dijk is entering the final year of his contract, turns 35 next week, and Liverpool just lost Ibrahima Konate. The Reds aren’t exactly eager to move their captain, but Wednesday’s reports from La Gazzetta dello Sport say the idea has made it all the way to Milan owner Gerry Cardinale. RedBird is apparently ‘evaluating’ it.
That’s a long way from a done deal.
The more realistic name is Goncalo Inacio. Milan’s head coach knows him well from their time together at Sporting CP, where Inacio has been since 2012. He’s 25, left-footed, and currently at the World Cup with Portugal. The price tag is somewhere in the €30 million to €40 million range. That’s still real money but it’s half of what they’d likely need for van Dijk, and it fits the profile of a club that just shattered its transfer record on a striker.
Why Van Dijk Even Came Up
It’s easy to write off the van Dijk talk as dreamland stuff. But the fact that it’s being discussed at the ownership level suggests Milan is at least thinking about making a statement. Van Dijk would bring leadership, experience, and a presence that changes how opponents attack you. But he’s also 35 in July and the Premier League is a different animal than Serie A on the defensive side.
Liverpool losing Konate makes it even harder to imagine them letting van Dijk walk, even if they could get a fee now rather than losing him for nothing next summer. He’s still their captain and still central to how they play.
Inacio Makes More Sense
Inacio isn’t a flashy name but he’s been rock solid at Sporting. He can play in a back three or a back four, he’s comfortable with the ball at his feet, and at 25 he’s got his best years ahead of him. The connection with the Milan coach from their Sporting days is real and that kind of trust matters when you’re integrating a new center-back into a system.
Milan’s defense needed a refresh. Fikayo Tomori is still there, Simon Kjaer is getting older, and Malick Thiaw is developing. Adding Inacio gives them a long-term piece who can step in immediately. Van Dijk would be a short-term superstar gamble. Inacio is the kind of signing that looks smart two years from now.
Both players are at the World Cup with Portugal, so nothing is happening until July at the earliest anyway.
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