Are Milan chasing Palermo's Vazquez?

Palermo midfielder Franco Vazquez has once again been linked to A.C. Milan. Sky Sports' Gianluca Di Marzio has reported that the Italo-Argentine trequartista is a major target for the Rossoneri who are continuing to make contacts with the Rosanero in order to sign him.  According to the report, Vazquez will continue to be a main target for Milan regardless of whether or not the club is sold to Chinese investors in the coming days.

Vazquez has long been a target for the Rossoneri, who allegedly tried to sign him away from the Sicilian club last December, only to be told that he would not be moving before the end of the season. Vazquez's price tag is thought to be around €20 million, and knowing how tough a negotiator Palermo President Maurizio Zamparini is, Vazquez will cost Milan a pretty penny.

Vazquez would certainly be a welcome addition to a Milan squad that is sorely lacking creativity.  Vazquez operates as a classic number 10, as he plays right behind the strikers and links the midfield and attack.  One persistent problem throughout Milan's season was the lack of service that Carlos Bacca received from his midfielders.  On too many nights Carlos Bacca was invisible through no fault of his own, simply because his teammates could not provide him with quality service. Plugging Vazquez right into Milan's eleven would go along way towards correcting this problem, and could make Bacca an even more dangerous striker.

Vazquez is coming off of an impressive season at Palermo, one in which he tallied 8 goals and 7 assists despite missing his partner in crime, Paulo Dybala, who joined Juventus last summer. Franco "El Mudo" Vazquez has accumulated 22 goals in 105 appearances for Palermo, and has earned two caps for Italy, the country of his mother's birth.

A potential Vazquez signing would most likely have some implications on Milan's current squad.  Firstly, it would almost seal Keisuke Honda's move away from the club, as the two occupy the same position.  The Japanese midfielder has been linked with a move away from the Rossoneri, and the addition of Vazquez would certainly be a sign that Honda is on his way out. Secondly, by signing Vazquez Milan would have to commit to playing a formation that possesses a trequartista, either 4-3-1-2 or 4-2-3-1.  Milan have dabbled with the 4-3-1-2 formation for years now, so in all likelihood Milan will revert back to that formation if Vazquez were to arrive.

Negotiating with Zamparini is far from an easy feat, but if everything goes to plan Milan will have a new number 10 by the time next season rolls around.