Fikayo Tomori's move to AC Milan could be the making of him

Fikayo Tomori will be undergoing his medical at AC Milan on Friday, with the club having already registered the player with the league.

Despite the fact there has yet to be any official confirmation of the move, Stefano Pioli intends to involve his new player in the squad to face Atalanta on Saturday - hence why he has already been registered with the division's authorities.

The 23-year-old defender will join the club on loan until the end of the season but the Rossoneri have the option to make the deal permanent at the end of the season, courtesy of an option to buy clause believed to be in the region of €28m.

Despite Frank Lampard insisting earlier this month that the centre-back remains a part of the club's long-term plans, it could certainly be argued the inclusion of the aforementioned clause suggests otherwise.

Limited to just one Premier League appearance so far this season, a move away from Stamford Brigde in search of more football feels like the best thing for Tomori, and this move to San Siro really could be the making of him.

Stefano Pioli's side are flying high at the top of Serie A and are currently exceeding the expectations most would have had of them at the start of the campaign. Tomori will be walking into a dressing room looking to seize an opportunity to go on and win their first scudetto since 2011.

Last season, the Canadian-born defender enjoyed a long stint in the side, playing 90 minutes in the Premier League for Chelsea in 11 consecutive fixtures but since the start of 2020, game time in the English-top-flight has been hard to come by for the player.

The summer arrival of Thiago Silva saw Tomori fall even further down the pecking order and from then on, the writing has been on the wall.

Serie A is often referred to by those looking in as a more tactical league. It's a competition often fabled for a high standard of defending and for a developing player, still learning his role, you feel Tomori stands to gain plenty from a spell in Italy.

Aside from the opportunity to develop from a technical standpoint, the experience of being involved in a title race and train daily with the likes of Zlatan Ibrahimovic, to name one example, could prove invaluable to the Chelsea loanee.

Pioli has already added to the squad this month as the club look to sustain their impressive form moving into the business end of the campaign. Mario Mandzukic, a four-time Serie A winner with Juventus, has signed until the end of the season and Soualiho Meite has joined on loan from Torino.

For all of the reasons mentioned above, this feels like a golden opportunity for Tomori, to be a part of a special team, learn and experience another style of football, all while showcasing what he can do.

It is unclear what the future holds for the Chelsea youth product. Even if he was to impress during this loan spell, given AC Milan's financial situation, there is no guarantee they will be in a position to trigger the reported €28m option to buy clause.

So for now, the focus needn't be on the long-term future of the player, but instead, making sure he makes the most of the opportunity he has been afforded by the Rossoneri and if his performances are good enough - his future will take care of itself.