Carlos Bacca is coming back to Milan, but is he wanted?

Well, at least one striker will be arriving at AC Milan during the summer, only it’s one that the team probably wouldn’t want back.

Massimiliano Mirabelli said Monday that Carlos Bacca would return to the San Siro after a loan spell at Spanish club Villarreal. Although a permanent deal seems like the best move for everyone involved, Bacca is now headed back to Milan.

Bacca’s tenure at Milan started out well enough, but for a striker that cost €30 million, his goal scoring record hasn’t exactly stood out. He scored 18 league goals his first season at the San Siro, but last season his output dipped to 13 goals in 32 Serie A matches for Milan.

Milan obviously agreed that a change of scenery would do the Columbia striker some good and loaned him out to Villarreal. Things have worked out pretty well for him back in La Liga, as he scored 15 goals and added 6 assists, helping Villarreal to a fifth place finish and a trip to the Europa League.

Bacca courted controversy back in January of this year, after accusing Milan of “living in the past” in regards to the status and expectations at the club. It doesn’t appear that he wants to come back to Milan, and it appears that the club has made other plans (again) at striker, with a number of high-profile names being mentioned to replace flops André Silva and Nikola Kalinić to go along with homegrown phenom Patrick Cutrone.

So why is he coming back? Is this just a negotiating tactic from Mirabelli? It might be. It’s rumored that Milan are seeking €16 million for Bacca, which is more than Villarreal are willing to pay. In a perfect world, the two sides will meet and come to an agreement, but that’s not the world we live in, especially given the news about sanctions coming from UEFA over Milan failing FFP. Bacca may be coming back, but neither he, nor the club, want him to be back. He will likely be off again next year, either on loan or sold. Who knows, maybe West Ham United will still want to pay €20 million for him.