Milan to sign Fikayo Tomori on loan with option to buy - Mario Mandzukic deal also close

Fikayo Tomori is set to join Serie A leaders Milan on loan until the end of the season with an option to make the transfer permanent, as he looks to gain more playing time away from Chelsea.

The 23-year-old made 15 league appearances for the Blues last season, but the arrival of Thiago Silva and the return of Kurt Zouma from a loan spell at Everton has restricted the youth academy product to featuring only once in the league this year.

Tomori's exclusion from Frank Lampard's plans has left him in search of minutes elsewhere, and Fabrizio Romano reports that he is set to join Milan on loan for the rest of the season, with an option to buy included in the deal.

The England international will help the Serie A outfit in their bid to topple Juventus as Italian champions, and he may be relied upon in the thick of a hectic end of season schedule.

I Rossoneri have suffered with injury troubles at the heart of their defence this year, with talisman Simon Kjaer succumbing to fitness issues in December.

The possibility of further injuries to either Kjaer or captain Alessio Romagnoli has left Stefano Pioli scrambling to finding a viable alternative, having been forced to rely on starlet Pierre Kalulu at times during this campaign.

The Milan boss will also be wary of a potential coronavirus outbreak decimating his squad, and with the Italian giants in the midst of an unexpected title charge, he'll be hoping to reinforce his team in as many positions as possible.

Tomori will receive the minutes he craves in Italy, having fallen out of favour under Lampard at Stamford Bridge. He gained some vital experience at Derby County in the 2018/19 campaign, when the Chelsea boss was also cutting his teeth with the Championship side.

Milan are also closing in on the signing of Mario Mandzukic, according to the same reporter, with the Croatian striker set to sign a contract that will run until the end of the season once the medical examinations are complete.

Mandzukic last played for Qatari side Al-Duhail but made his name in the Bundesliga with Wolfsburg and Bayern Munich before a successful spell with Serie A giants Juventus.