It has been reported this week that AC Milan are set to sign Argentinean international Lucas Bigilia for a fee around 25 million euros despite his contract expiring next season.
Lazio would be receiving a fantastic fee for the player and are getting this money in early so they can reinvest in the summer. Milan will be offering a three-year extension for 3.5 million a year.
The rossoneri haven’t spent money like this in years and it is going to be necessary in certain instances to overpay like this situation. There are a couple of reasons as to why it is ok for Milan to do this.
First off Milan is making their Champions league competition in Serie A weaker, by taking away a captain of the team that finished above them it cripples Lazio in the short term. By making the competition weaker you are giving yourself an advantage for next season while strengthening your needs in other areas.
Secondly, everyone knows in Serie A what Milan is trying to do, they’re trying to build a team that can qualify for the CL as soon as next season and that means there is urgency to acquire proven players that can help them win now. Lazio has that player and they know that Milan might not be able to wait that long for his contract to expire. So they demand a fee like this, knowing that it may cripple them in the short term. They are giving up a good Europa League run to try to reinvest for the future.
For Milan it is about the here and now. Ever since they sold Ibrahimovic and Thiago Silva, the club has struggled mightily to compete for the league title and even be a major factor in Europe. The only option they have after not investing heavily over the past few seasons is to overpay for certain players. Especially if Milan wants to make a return to the top faster they’re going to have to overpay for players and Lucas Biglia is the first and I can almost guarantee you he won’t be the last.