Winger Archie Brown, who was sought by José Mourinho, did not get on the plane chartered by Fenerbahce. He prefers AC Milan and is expected in the city soon. Gent will reportedly receive between 8 and 9 million euros for the player.
AC Milan has reportedly secured Archie Brown, the Gent left-back who is set to replace Theo Hernandez. The transfer is expected to cost between 8 and 9 million euros, and Brown will sign a five-year contract starting at 1.5 million euros per season (increasing over time). With impressive timing, CEO Furlani and Sporting Director Tare outmaneuvered Fenerbahce, who believed they had the player secured. Yesterday afternoon, Fenerbahce had even chartered a private jet to bring Brown to Istanbul for medical tests.
However, the English player never boarded that flight. Empowered by the agreement his new agent reached with the Rossoneri club on Thursday night, he informed Gent of his desire to play in Serie A. At that point, Milan stepped in with their official offer for the Belgian club. José Mourinho reportedly called the player multiple times to try and convince him, but Brown had already made his decision, and not even the `Special One` could change his mind.
The Negotiation for Brown
On Thursday, Fenerbahçe had a preliminary agreement with Gent for the left-back`s transfer fee, offering a sum between 8 and 9 million euros. They believed they were ahead of the competition and wouldn`t have trouble securing Brown`s approval. They didn`t realize that Tare had already obtained the `yes` from the 2002-born left-footer. Yesterday afternoon, when Archie returned to his home instead of heading to Brussels airport, it became clear that the situation was compromised for the Turkish club.
Minutes later, Gent received a call from Milan presenting an official offer, a sum reportedly slightly lower than Fenerbahçe`s bid. However, having the agreement with Brown gave Milan a strong negotiating position. The Turkish side attempted to relaunch their bid late into the night, increasing the player`s offer and the commissions for his entourage, but the player`s choice was already made. Consequently, negotiations between Milan and Gent proceeded, and although not finalized at the time of publication, the deal is expected to be confirmed today.
Milan and the Two Flights
The player could arrive in Milan as early as today for medical examinations. AC Milan had also booked a private flight for last night from Brussels airport, the same airport from which Fenerbahce`s chartered jet was scheduled to depart. Two planes at the same airport for the same player, who ultimately chose… which one not to take. He might fly on the other one today or tomorrow at the latest, provided all the pieces of the puzzle fall into place.
Reinforcement
Especially after Theo Hernandez`s departure to Al Hilal for 25 million euros, coach Allegri desperately needed a left-back, a position where only Bartesaghi remains in the squad. Now, the focus is reportedly on finding a right-back (Doué is favored over Pubill), but barring any surprises, Milan will work to finalize Brown`s registration (including, of course, the residence permit) and have him join the team departing for Singapore on Saturday evening. For the Livorno-born coach, Archie`s presence is needed to work on the defensive phase.
Pulisic, Saudi Links
While the day for Milan was largely dominated by the Brown situation, rumors have emerged from Saudi Arabia about Al Nassr, Cristiano Ronaldo`s club, attempting to sign Pulisic. As of now, Milan headquarters (Via Aldo Rossi) have not received any offers, and the American is considered a key player in their project. However, Al Nassr has significant financial power, so this possibility cannot be entirely dismissed. Finally, the search for a center-forward continues, with Chelsea reportedly unwilling to sell Jackson cheaply. He remains one name on the shortlist, alongside Vlahovic and Boniface.
