Real Madrid youngster Alex Jimenez is reportedly a step away from joining AC Milan.
Hours after announcing the arrival of Tijjani Reijnders from AZ Alkmaar, the Italians could be on the cusp of adding another hot young prospect to their squad.
According to The Athletic, the super-talented full-back is already on his way to Italy to undergo his medical before completing a loan move to the San Siro.
Unlike Brahim Diaz, who spent the last three seasons developing his talents at Milan only to return to the Santiago Bernabeu as an established star this summer, the Rossoneri will have a buyout option this time.
Despite signing a new deal at Madrid as early as last year, Jimenez has opted for an early departure, having realised his first-team opportunities in the capital could prove hard to come by.
He’ll follow in the footsteps of his senior counterpart Theo Hernandez, who teamed up with Milan in 2019 after finding himself at the bottom of the pecking order in Madrid.
Following a rather unpleasant stint in Spain, the 25-year-old has grown to become one of the world’s best left-backs during his prolific four-year career at Milan.
Jimenez will take a slightly different route, as he is expected to predominantly perform for Milan’s Primavera side and train with Pioli’s squad.
But since the Rossoneri’s pursuit of a new full-back has yet to bear any fruit, the teenager’s first-team prospects could be handed an unexpected boost.
Milan and Torino have been in talks for Wilfried Singo’s move to San Siro for almost a month without making any progress, which could aid Jimenez’s case.
His imminent leave somewhat contrasts Los Merengues’ recent policy of relying on the up-and-coming youngsters rather than pursuing megastars, as was often the case during Florentino Perez’s early reign.
Perez has recently adopted a diverse approach – recruiting talented youngsters – compared to his old habit of splashing out stratospheric figures on Europe’s elite players.
Madrid may have failed to learn their lesson after disposing of Hernandez and Achraf Hakimi without giving them the benefit of the doubt, only to see them thrive at other clubs later.
