Milan maintain Xhaka pursuit despite move for Ricci

Originally posted on Football Italia | By Sam Wilson | Last updated Jun 27, 2025 1:17 PM ET

Milan reportedly remain interested in signing Granit Xhaka from Bayer Leverkusen, as the Rossoneri prepare to renegotiate with the German club over the price tag.

Xhaka has been strongly linked with a move to Milan in recent weeks and despite the player’s willingness to join the Rossoneri, Leverkusen have been standing strong over their demands for the player.

For this reason, Samuele Ricci has instead been touted with a possible switch to Massimiliano Allegri’s side – the 23-year-old looking set to leave Torino for Milan.

However, according to the latest reports from IlMilanista, the two deals are not mutually exclusive and, if the finances behind the deals work out, both could be possible.

What Milan need to unlock Xhaka deal

The reports from Italy suggest that Leverkusen are demanding a fee in the region of €15 million for the 32-year-old – whilst Milan are only prepared to offer €10 million currently. Leverkusen are in no rush to sell and appear to be standing firm over their demands.

In the coming weeks, the Rossoneri are expected to make some key sales – with Theo Hernandez heading to Al-Hilal and Alvaro Morata departing for Como – on top of the £46.5 million gained from the transfer of Tijjani Reijnders to Manchester City.

With these sales, Milan may be able to finance both deals for Ricci and Xhaka – but the latter will hinge on Leverkusen’s willingness to negotiate over price.

This article first appeared on Football Italia and was syndicated with permission.

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