Milan have reportedly opened talks for departing Sevilla man Yevhen Konoplyanka, despite Schalke retaining an obligatory purchase option.
According to Estadio Deportivo, Milan have “already initiated contact” with a view to bringing in Konoplyanka.
The Ukrainian scored eight goals in 52 appearances for Sevilla during the 2015-16 campaign, his first since arriving from Dnipro on a free transfer.
However, he was deemed surplus to requirements by Jorge Sampaoli last season and subsequently sent to Schalke, who also secured a €14m option to make his loan permanent.
The move ended in failure as the winger made just five starts in Bundesliga and fell out with Coach Markus Weinzierl, branding him a “coward” and vowing he would “never have left Sevilla”, had he known he would be working under the German.
Weinzierl has since been replaced by rookie Domenico Tedesco, who is understood to be “counting” on Konoplyanka, although it remains to be seen if feelings are mutual.
Milan have already splashed the cash on the likes of Mateo Musacchio and former Real Madrid target Ricardo Rodriguez after being taken over by a Chinese consortium.
