Gerard Deulofeu’s loan move to AC Milan dragged on for longer than it initially seemed it would. Ronald Koeman was happy for the player to leave, Milan really wanted him, and Deulofeu himself was keen.
The hold up was on the terms of a loan. Everton wanted Milan to insert a mandatory redemption clause into the deal, forcing them to buy for a set amount in the summer. Milan are currently being taken over, and can’t commit to big spending, so they refused.
Instead, Milan wanted an optional clause, which would have given them all the power. For example, if the fee had been set at €15m, and Deulofeu really impressed, then it would be less than Everton could achieve on the open market.
A failure to impress would have left Milan free to send him back, with Everton stuck with a player someone didn’t want to buy for the clause. Milan could have also negotiated downward.
In the end, the Spaniard moved on a straight loan. Some in Italy claimed that because of Barcelona’s buyback clause, preventing a further clause in the deal, but in Spain it was pretty clear that Barca weren’t bothered, and weren’t going to stand in the way.
Now, Milan is head over heels in love with Deulofeu, and whilst the current hype is probably over the top, there’s every chance the Everton loan player could excel. The failure to force Milan to commit to a fee could end up working out well for Everton should he continue his flashes of brilliance.
Milan would be under huge pressure to sign the player, with Everton holding the power, and there’d likely be interest from elsewhere, pushing the price up further. There’s even the chance of Koeman deciding Deulofeu could do a job at Everton, and there’d be nothing Milan could do to stop a return.
