AC Milan have opened official talks with the agents of Algeria international Ibrahim Maza, hoping to bring the Bayer Leverkusen playmaker to San Siro in the near future.
Italy's "Calciomercato" network report that Maza has won the approval of coach Ruben Amorim and head of scouting Gardner. The player has featured on the Italian club's radar since his days at Hertha Berlin.
At the heart of the move is a desire to sharpen Milan's attack. The club want a skilful, high-quality operator in the classic number 10 role to line up alongside rising talent Alvadio Cisse and the duo of Christian Pulisic and Christopher Nkunku.
Several options are on the table, weighed up through Gardner's reports and Amorim's approval, after Milan lost out on target Karetsas to Borussia Dortmund. Maza, who turns 21 next November, stands out as a long-standing target for the Rossoneri, alongside names such as Suli and Nwaneri.
Milan chased the young star through lengthy negotiations with Hertha Berlin last summer, only for Bayer Leverkusen to win the race by investing close to 12 million euros plus incentives and bonuses.
Inside Milan, Maza is hugely admired. Scouts point to his individual solutions, his ability to read the game before everyone else, his tactical intelligence and his excellent movement inside the box.
Amorim has given the green light to a deal given the player's youth and vast room for growth, especially after an exceptional first season with Bayer Leverkusen. Maza featured in 44 matches, chipping in with 5 goals and 6 assists.
Agents and intermediaries have been shuttling through Milan's headquarters in recent days. Over the past few hours the club held lengthy talks with the Stellar agency representative who handles Maza, the same agent steering negotiations for Leao's move to Fenerbahce, to gauge whether the door to talks with Bayer Leverkusen can be opened.
Leverkusen, though, are not budging easily. Their new coach, Carlos Martinez Novell, views Maza as a key part of his project and plans to build around him next season.
Milan know the price will be steep, north of 40 million euros. Contacts between the parties will resume in the coming days to see whether the negotiations can move forward.