AC Milan gunning for Aston Villa raid after doubts creep in over Arsenal, Chelsea stars

AC Milan are fixing their gaze on an Aston Villa defender after doubts emerged over the worthiness of signing options from Arsenal and Chelsea, according to a report.

Caglar Soyuncu, the former Leicester City defender currently playing for Atletico Madrid, is one of four centre-backs attracting interest from the Serie A giants. AC Milan have already been active in the January transfer window, completing the signing of wing-back Filippo Terracciano from Hellas Verona for a fee of €4.5million earlier this month. The club’s transfer business is unlikely to stop there, with manager Stefano Piolo keen to make further additions to the Rossoneri’s defence.

Italian reporter Gianluca Di Marzio has claimed that three Premier League defenders feature on the club’s four-man wishlist, with Clement Lenglet – currently on loan at Aston Villa from Barcelona – at the top. French international Lenglet has struggled to make an impact since arriving at Villa Park last summer, making just four appearances under Unai Emery having spent last season on loan at Premier League rivals Tottenham Hotspur.

AC Milan set to raid Premier League for defensive addition

The 28-year-old is admired by AC Milan, but Di Marzio has warned that a deal with Barcelona will not be “simple” given his current loan arrangement with Aston Villa. That could persuade the club to turn to alternative targets, with Arsenal and Poland star Jakub Kiwior a potential loan option.Like Lenglet, Kiwior has struggled to make an impression at his current club having joined Arsenal from Spezia Calcio in January 2023 and has made just nine Premier League appearances so far this season.

The 23-year-old was an 81st-minute substitute in Arsenal’s thumping victory over Crystal Palace on Saturday, his first league appearance since being substituted at half time during the club’s defeat to Fulham on December 31.

Meanwhile, TEAMtalk exclusively revealed on Friday that Fulham have approached Chelsea with a view to signing Trevoh Chalobah on loan with an option to buy at the end of the season.

Fulham boss Marco Silva is a long-term admirer of the defender, with Chalobah open to a move as it would allow him to remain in London.

AC Milan also reportedly hold an interest in Chalobah, but hold reservations over his fitness with the player yet to feature this season following injury problems.

Kiwior’s sub-par displays for Arsenal are also a concern, thus pushing Lenglet to the top of Milan’s shortlist almost by default.Soyuncu, who joined Atletico Madrid last summer after Leicester’s relegation from the Premier League coincided with the expiry of his contract, is another defender AC Milan are monitoring.

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