Milan Looking To Add River Plate's Emanuel Mammana In The Summer

With Adriano Galliani revealing earlier this week that River Plate full back Leonel Vangioni will be joining Milan in the summer, it now appears Milan will be returning for his teammate, nineteen-year-old Emanuel Mammana. The young centreback has attracted attention from other major European clubs, with Fiorentina attempting to bring him to Italy in January. The Viola were unable to agree on a deal with River Plate for the youngster, and so Milan may look to capitalise on their loss with a bid for the young Argentine.

River Plate reportedly want 10 million (euros) for the defender, and bearing in mind his enormous talent, he could prove to an excellent investment for the Rossoneri. Whilst Alex has settled in nicely alongside Alessio Romagnoli this season, few Milanisti would argue Milan couldn't use a new centreback. The Brazilian is the wrong side of thirty, and despite his improved performances, there are still doubts about his ability at this stage in his career. The likes of Cristian Zapata, Philippe Mexes and Rodrigo Ely have all struggled this season, and Mammana might be a better fit than any of them. The forging of such a youthful defensive partnership, if it works, would be a big step towards building a Milan side that can compete at a high level for a large period of time.

In contrast to typically bullish South American defenders, like his countrymen Nicolas Otamendi and Javier Mascherano, Mammana is a classy sweeper who excels at reading the game and is already renowned for his excellent temperament. Despite enormous competition for space in Argentina's back line, the youngster has already made his international debut, making a substitute appearance as the 2014 World Cup. Whilst a duo of Mammana and Romagnoli might lack a bit of steel and grit, not least due to their youthfulness, it could help Milan secure the defensive solidity the team has lacked since the departure of Alessandro Nesta and Thiago Silva.