Victor Boniface wanted to move to AC Milan. But now he has to return to Bayer. After the medical check, the Italians decided against the loan and want to play it safe with their striker selection. Only one small loophole reportedly remains.
The two clubs had already agreed on a loan deal with an option to buy. But after Leverkusen center forward Victor Boniface underwent the mandatory medical examination at AC Milan on Friday, the Italians had doubts about whether the 24-year-old was the right choice. That is why Milan has now said no to the deal.
Boniface’s extra training during his vacation exacerbated the problems
Boniface must therefore return to Germany after the striker’s right knee showed abnormalities during a fitness test in northern Italy. These were probably exacerbated by the individual program that the Nigerian international completed with a private trainer in the summer before the start of pre-season training. The striker, who has already suffered two cruciate ligament tears in his career, had to take it easy repeatedly since the start of training due to stress problems that were never precisely defined by the club.
On Wednesday, Leverkusen’s managing director Simon Rolfes, referring to the three-way battle between striker and number 1 forward Patrik Schick, talented Christian Kofane (19) and Boniface for the only place in the attack, explained: “Unfortunately, Boni was unable to handle the strain at the beginning of the preseason.” The possibility of a transfer “is an issue that has arisen because Boni wasn’t able to cope with the pressure. Things have improved, but the question is whether we can offer him the opportunities he needs to get back to his best.”
Milan wants to play it safe with its number one striker
Milan apparently has similar doubts. However, there is said to be a small loophole for the deal. The Italians want to sign two strikers. With the first transfer, they want to be absolutely sure that the candidate can help them immediately. However, if other options cannot be realized for the second striker transfer, according to information from Italy, it cannot be ruled out that Milan will return to the Boniface issue. However, this is unlikely.