Japanese playmaker expected to have to wait until January for switch.
AC Milan vice-president Adriano Galliani has revealed that the club will not give up on their primary transfer target this summer, CSKA Moscow star Keisuke Honda.
The transfer saga for the 27-year-old has been dragged out throughout the summer thus far, with the Russian club unwilling to lower their valuation of the player despite the risk of losing him for nothing in January.
Milan have reportedly offered around €4m for the Japanese international, but CSKA are holding out for €5m as the Rossoneri request help from the playmaker’s sponsors to help push the move through.
As reported by La Gazzetta dello Sport, Galliani has revealed that the club will “try until the last day possible until we must deliver our Champions League list”.
Although the Milan chief is confident that Honda will join in January, the reasoning behind wanting to secure a deal this summer is in order to prevent Honda being cup-tied in the Champions League.
Were he to arrive after the winter break, Honda will be ineligible to feature for Milan if they advance to the knock-out stages of the tournament, as it is more than likely he will take part in CSKA’s group games.
However, it is unlikely that a deal will be reached before the transfer deadline, given that the Russian giants sold striker Vagner Love earlier this week.
With the Brazilian no longer an attacking option, it is understood that Honda’s replacement, Georgi Milanov, has suffered an injury and will not be available for the opening months of the season.
As a result, it looks as though an immediate move to San Siro could be scuppered, but with Honda having already agreed personal terms with the Diavolo, he will most likely hope to make an impact on his arrival in January as a free agent.
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