Whilst the senior window was quiet for AC Milan, the same cannot be said for the Futuro project, who have received a few new talents to develop. It always seemed like the first team mercato would be rather quiet, and last month was for the most part. Of course, there were rumours throughout, and even a bit of late drama. However, that is part and parcel of January. Though, there was some investment in the mercato.
From a sporting perspective, Tavares fits a profile Barcelona have been actively targeting in recent years. He is a powerful, right-footed left winger who is comfortable playing on his weaker side, giving him a natural tendency to attack central spaces. In addition, he can also operate as a centre-forward when required. Despite his young age, Tavares already stands out physically. His advanced build has allowed him to compete at a high level against opponents two or even three years older.
The Blues have done superb work with signings like Estevao Willian, Moises Caicedo, Enzo Fernandez and Cole Palmer in recent times, and they're set to continue their policy of recruiting elite young talents to long-term contracts. As first reported here for the Daily Briefing, Chelsea are now confident in their approach as Enzo Maresca's side make great progress this season, while their policy of offering players long-term deals is also expected to give them an advantage in the race for the best talents.
Aston Villa have beaten their Premier League rivals in more ways than one over the past couple of days. Manchester City visited Villa Park looking to put an end to their difficult run in that particular corner of the West Midlands but were beaten 1-0 by Unai Emery's Villans. Premier League top scorer Erling Haaland was kept relatively quiet as the striker failed to score for the first time in 13 matches.
Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool, Manchester City, Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur are all looking at Ajax midfielder Jorthy Mokio, according to TEAMtalk. Barcelona and Real Madrid are also monitoring the 17-year-old, who made his first-team debut for Ajax last term and has played 60 minutes so far this season. He had already rejected offers from Barcelona and Bayern Munich to sign for Ajax from KAA Gent last year.
