Director of football was on site
©IMAGO
Jonathan Tah (29) will leave Bayer 04 Leverkusen free of charge in the summer, FC Barcelona is considered the more likely new employer. In search of a suitable replacement, the reigning German champion apparently found it in series A: As the “Sport Bild” and “Bild” report, Malick Thiaw from AC Milan is a successor candidate.
Bayer 04 has been following the 23-year-old for a long time. Kim Falkenberg, director of football at the Bundesliga club, was on site on February 18 at the Champions League game between Milan and Feyenoord Rotterdam (1-1). Thiaw played for 90 minutes. The native of Düsseldorf has a contract with the table ninth of Serie A until June 2027. Milan expects an early decision from him. The defender should either be extended or sold. 25 million euros would be in the room as a transfer fee. Money that Bayer 04 could generate to Atalanta Bergamo by selling the Odilon Kossounou (24).
Thiaw was switched from FC Schalke 04 to Milan for 9.3 million euros in 2022 and increased its market value in the meantime from 6 million to 30 million euros – the professional is currently being estimated to EUR 20 million. This season, Thiaw was in use 27 times over a total of 2,155 minutes for Milan, with two goal participations. Thiaw ran three times for the German national team, most recently on October 18, 2023 in 2-2 against Mexico. The right foot played in youth at Fortuna Düsseldorf, Bayer Leverkusen, Borussia Mönchengladbach and Schalke – so it would be a return to his former place of work.
