Milan’s Rafael Leao, Tammy Abraham, Tijjani Reijnders and Fikayo Tomori celebrate victory after the Italian Super Cup final against Inter. (Photo by Yasser Bakhsh/Getty Images)
Graham Potter has changed the mood around West Ham but the club’s move for Fikayo Tomori is set to be rejected by new AC Milan manager Sergio Conceicao.
A win over Fulham in his first Premier League game, as well as a fairly reasonable performance in the FA Cup defeat by Aston Villa, saw Potter’s stock rise among Hammers fans.
West Ham want to sign AC Milan’s Fikayo Tomori
The new manager is already making his presence felt Edson Alvarez ready to leave West Ham and Andre Silva likely to join the Hammers borrowed.
It is clear that the East Londoners need to improve significantly from how they have played so far this season.
Julen Lopetegui’s time at the club can only be seen as an abject failure, so the pressure is on Potter’s shoulders to hit the ground running and get things right.
While sources have told CaughtOffside that Tomori has not pushed for a move, it is not just West Ham who appear to have understood the England international could be available.
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Sources also say Premier League rivals Newcastle, Aston Villa and Tottenham are also interested, while Milan’s Serie A rivals Juventus are believed to be preparing a formal bid of around €25m.
Tomori has a contract with Milan until July 2027 and an annual net salary of around €3.5 million, so it could be said that he is close to the aforementioned clubs.
Conceicao makes the move difficult for Fikayo Tomori
However, the arrival of Sergio Conceicao at Milan is likely to make the transfer difficult. This is because the new coach wants Tomori to remain in the team and play an important role in his tactical setup.
That willingness to keep hold of the 27-year-old is what could ultimately thwart West Ham’s chances.
There are just over two weeks until the end of the January transfer window, which is plenty of time to complete a deal.
A tempting financial offer could sway the Milan board, although Conceicao would still need some convincing.
