How much should Real Madrid accept from Milan for Brahim Diaz transfer?

Real Madrid are going to have to make some tough decisions in the summer 2022 transfer window. Their easy decisions are signing Kylian Mbappe and trying to find transfer destinations for Luka Jovic and Eden Hazard. But players like Erling Haaland are less certain targets, while Marco Asensio, Rodrygo Goes, Takefusa Kubo, and Brahim Diaz are in some form of limbo (Rodrygo less so than the others, though).

Brahim’s situation may be of special interest. Madridistas have been full of praise for the young forward since he joined the club from Manchester City. He had some flashes for the first team, just as he’s had some flashes for Milan in his second season on loan with the Rossoneri. But because the bar is set so high for forwards at Madrid, Brahim hasn’t truly inspired confidence in his ability to be a first-team player due to his recent slip in form.

Milan are still big believers in Brahim, who is already a good squad player for them and can develop into a key starter. From Real Madrid’s perspective, Brahim has traits that make him more valuable than Asensio, but he isn’t better than Rodrygo and has less upside than Kubo. More to the point, with Mbappe and potentially either Haaland or Serge Gnabry joining him, the wings will be too crowded for the two-footed Spaniard.

There is no indication Real will ask Brahim to return for 2022/23. But there is every indication Milan will try to buy him this summer instead of being satisfied with fulfilling another year of the 22-year-old’s loan.

Real Madrid should not offer any sort of a discount for Brahim

The issue here is that Milan, naturally, want to pay less money for Brahim. Currently, the option to buy is set at 22 million euros, but the Rossoneri do not want to pay that much. Brahim has started 26 matches between Serie A and the Champions League with four goals and four assists. While that is decent for a 22-year-old, you can see why Milan do not want to pay 22 million euros.

Here’s the problem, though. If Milan truly believe in Brahim, they should be willing to sign him at the agreed price. What message does that send to Brahim about a club that wants him for the future if they devalue him? He may not take it personally, but haggling is something Milan have to realize will not reflect the best on their prestige. Not that they’ll care. It never hurts to ask for a discount.

Should Real offer a discount? The question depends on two things. If they think Brahim can do better in 2022/23 and increase his value, or if Real are desperate for cash. In the case of the first, they should feel confident Brahim will do better. But in the case of the second, they are not desperate to sell Brahim. They can just as easily sell other players, such as Asensio, if they truly need extra money.

Going back to the point of Brahim potentially increasing his value, what if the key is for Brahim to move to a different team? Milan are the leaders in Serie A and are doing well domestically, but maybe Brahim could take another step forward at a different club in 2023/24. That’s a bit of a risk, but it could pay off for Real Madrid if they feel like they can get some more money for Brahim. Another benefit to trying out this strategy? The threat of Milan never getting Brahim permanently.

Milan may want a discount in 2022, but when this two-year loan is up and if Brahim takes a step forward in 2023/24, they may be willing to accept the 22 million euros in a heartbeat. So there is really no point in taking a discount now when Real have the ball in their court. Not only do they have an overall buy-back for Brahim in case he blows up after going to Milan permanently, but they have the benefit of a two-year loan deal and control. They can wait things out.

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So sticking with 22 million euros is fair. And if Milan don’t take that deal this summer or next, Real Madrid can shop him around to a club that is more willing to invest in Brahim. There is no reason for them to go below the set price of 22 million euros, which is fair from Real’s perspective and was always supposed to be set to a certain threshold. Real should never sell their quality young players for any less than they need to.