Lazio Targets Tomori in Milan Defensive Reshuffle
Lazio are circling around Fikayo Tomori, sensing an opportunity in Milan’s defensive overhaul and the Englishman’s slide down the pecking order at San Siro.
According to Il Messaggero, via LaLazioSiamoNoi, the Biancocelesti have identified Tomori as a prime target to reinforce the heart of their back line this summer. It would be a bold move for a club working under strict financial limits, but the situation in Milan has opened a door.
Tomori, 28, has been pushed to the fringes under new Milan coach Ruben Amorim. The defender, who arrived from Chelsea in 2021 and was once seen as a cornerstone of the Rossoneri’s future, struggled through an underwhelming 2025/26 campaign. He still racked up 33 Serie A appearances, yet his performances rarely convinced, and Amorim has made his stance clear by excluding him from his long-term plans.
Milan’s stance is equally straightforward. After bringing in Mario Gila from Lazio, the club are ready to cash in on Tomori, whose contract runs out at the end of next season. Interest from the Premier League, once strong, has cooled. That leaves Tomori in limbo and Milan facing a familiar dilemma: sell now or risk losing a valuable asset for nothing in a year.
This is where Lazio come in — and where the negotiation could get creative.
Swap on the table?
Lazio’s budget is tight. Gennaro Gattuso has taken over with a clear mandate: improve the squad without reckless spending. A straight cash deal for Tomori would stretch resources. A player-plus-cash formula, though, suddenly looks far more realistic.
Milan’s own needs add fuel to that idea. Pervis Estupiñán’s first Serie A season did not convince, pushing the Rossoneri back into the market for a new left-back. Lazio’s Nuno Tavares has emerged as a concrete option for that role, and the alignment of interests is obvious: Milan want Tavares, Lazio want Tomori.
A swap-style agreement — Tomori to Lazio, Tavares to Milan, with money balancing the books — would tick boxes for all sides. Lazio would land an experienced, Serie A-tested center-back to anchor Gattuso’s defense. Milan would address a problematic position on the left while avoiding the risk of Tomori walking away for free next summer.
For Lazio, the appeal is clear. A structured deal, with limited upfront expenditure, allows them to upgrade the spine of the team without blowing up their budget. For Milan, the logic is just as strong: move on a sidelined defender, resolve a contract issue early, and plug a gap in Amorim’s system.
The pieces are on the board. Now it comes down to how far each club is willing to bend to turn a convenient idea into a decisive bit of business.
