Chelsea could tempt Milan into selling star defender with offer close to €20m

Transfer News: AC Milan would be tempted by January offer for Theo Hernandez amidst interest from Chelsea

According to ESPN, AC Milan could be tempted by an offer for Theo Hernandez amidst interest from Chelsea in the January transfer window. The latter could need some reinforcements next month due to the injury situation of Ben Chilwell. Their interest may depend on the speed of recovery but that is something which remains to be seen.

Hernandez was on the scoresheet in the recent fixture against Empoli in Serie A as Milan won 4-2 on the day. He has been excellent for them this term as they try to win their first league title since 2011. They are currently in second place and have a great chance to top the table at the end of the season.

However, the Rossoneri could be open to selling the Frenchman in the winter transfer window if an offer of around €20million is paid by the interested party. They had previously paid that amount in 2019 to Real Madrid to get his services and can now be convinced to offload the Frenchman for that amount.

Milan would be tempted by January offer for Hernandez from Chelsea.
Chelsea could prepare January offer for AC Milan ace Theo Hernandez.

The 24-year-old has a contract at San Siro until 2024, which could explain the relatively low fee for his services. Lucas Digne from Everton is another option that the Blues could chase but he may be more expensive. He would also be a more straightforward signing after having an apparent fall-out with the manager Rafael Benitez.

Solid option

The Milan fullback has made 20 appearances this campaign and has scored twice with five assists to add to it. He also helped them to seven clean sheets in the process, indicating his quality at both ends of the pitch. Since moving from Santiago Bernabeu, he has made steady progression and has become a solid option in defence.

We could use someone like the France defender looking at our struggles in terms of injuries. Chilwell could be out for a while, and we would need someone reliable to maintain our title charge this season. However, if he makes an early return, Hernandez may have to start warming the bench early on.

Could Chelsea land Theo Hernandez from AC Milan? (Photo by Marco Luzzani/Getty Images)
Could Chelsea land Theo Hernandez from AC Milan? (Photo by Marco Luzzani/Getty Images)

The England international is said to be eyeing a return on 22 January when the North London club face Tottenham Hotspur in the Premier League. If that is the case, then it would not make sense for us to bring in someone for a mere matter of days.

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There is the question of whether we should rush him or not, but if he makes a speedy recovery and is fully fit, a potential signing would be a waste of money. Time will tell us how the situation develops as we get more updates on the rehabilitation process.

Another situation could be that Hernandez is being eyed for the longer term. Marcos Alonso hasn’t looked like his older self and he will be 31 before 2021 ends. Theo, in that regard, is a young and experienced full-back with years ahead of him to potentially challenge Chilwell for starts in the future.