Tomori close to swapping AC Milan for Chelsea, Italian side confirms

AC Milan technical director Paolo Maldini has confirmed that the club are close to landing Fikayo Tomori on loan from Chelsea, but has moved to insist that the deal could yet fall through. 

Tomori has struggled to force his way into Frank Lampard's plans at Stamford Bridge this season and has made just one league appearance in 2020/21 as a result. 

The young centre-back rejected the chance to move to West Ham on loan last summer as the Hammers couldn't guarantee him first team action, and while that isn't a promise AC Milan can keep given the fine showings of Alessio Romagoli and Simon Kjaer, Tomori would have a better chance of regular game time at San Siro. 

And when asked at what stage talks between Chelsea and AC Milan are, Maldini is quoted by Sky Sports as saying: "It's very close, we're in between confirming his signing and not signing him at all, it could all break down with just one detail. 

"We saw in him the quality to throw him into the mix with our current defenders, so that's why we want him." 

Tomori wasn't AC Milan's primary target in the window, with the Serie A leaders keen on Strasbourg's Mohamed Simakan, however the 23-year-old is now ruled out for the next two months with a knee injury.