AC Milan remain interested in buying Franks, asking Wolfsburg to lower the transfer price.
The Belgian Franks has gradually lost the trust of manager Pioli since his team lost two goals in the final minute when he made a mistake against Roma in early January. Coupled with the team's decision to switch to a three-back tactical system in early February, he completely lost his place in the game.
So far this season, Franks has only played eight games, with only one start. However, according to Italian media reports, AC Milan club management Maldini and Marsala are still very optimistic about the future development of the 20-year-old Franks. They believe that the Belgian rookie has great development potential and is gradually growing to make an important contribution to the team in the future.
In fact, whether it is the attitude of the game or mental willpower, Franks has fully shown the positive side. It's just that under the team's defensive pressure and the collapse of results, the head coach can only temporarily sacrifice Franks, whose defensive ability is not his strength, and put more squad and game energy into the construction of the defensive end.
He and Pobega, an excellent producer from AC Milan's own youth system, face similar problems. Originally, both of them had their own characteristics in the system of four defenders, but in the current defensive-oriented tactical thinking, they are not good at defensive ability and ball handling, they can only be temporarily sacrificed, and it is reasonable that they cannot win more opportunities.
But in the long run, after a season of adaptation and running-in, Franks is definitely expected to get more opportunities to show. In particular, both management and manager Pioli believe that the back three is only a stopgap measure, and the team will return to the back four formation in the future. According to his previous plays in the Bundesliga and the Belgian domestic league, Franks has a certain ability to steal and finish, balanced offensive and defensive ability, and stable shots, so Franks will definitely be a useful pawn.
He is currently valued at around €10 million in the transfer market and, under the loan deal reached by AC Milan and Wolfsburg last summer, the Rossoneri have the option to activate the buyout clause in the player's contract for €12 million at the end of the season, thus keeping him at the San Siro Stadium. But Maldini hopes to reopen negotiations with the other side to lower the price of the transfer fee.
