Milan need to sell Fikayo Tomori for at least €5m this summer to avoid recording a loss on the defender, with Aston Villa the club pushing hardest for his signature.
Tomori has been available for most of the window, but a lack of alternatives kept him in Ruben Amorim's plans through pre-season, where he has featured regularly. That has now changed. The arrival of Mario Gila as a direct upgrade, combined with Filippo Terracciano staying and Koni De Winter already in the building, leaves little room on the right side of the defence for the Englishman.
According to MilanNews, the €5m figure is the floor Milan cannot drop below if they want to avoid a capital loss on his book value. The situation is complicated by his contract, which expires next summer, cutting sharply into any leverage the Rossoneri might otherwise have in the talks.
The timing matters for the wider picture too. After heavy spending this summer, Milan need their outgoings to land at the right numbers, and €5m is the minimum they are willing to accept here. With Aston Villa hardly short of money, holding that line looks realistic rather than optimistic.
Discussions are ongoing between all three parties, and the report notes the situation can shift at any moment.
From here, it comes down to whether Villa meet Milan's floor or try to exploit that expiring contract to push the fee lower.