AC Milan head coach Gennaro Gattuso refused to comment on rumours linking Juventus striker Gonzalo Higuain with an imminent move to San Siro.
Speculation is mounting that Higuain will be part of a blockbuster transfer involving the two Serie A giants, with Juventus team-mate Mattia Caldara also tipped to move to Milan as Leonardo Bonucci returns to the Serie A champions.
Former Juve defender Bonucci set to make a sensational return to Turin, where won six Serie A titles prior to joining Milan last season.
However, speaking after Milan’s 1-0 defeat to Tottenham at the International Champions Cup, Gattuso refused to be drawn on whether Higuain would be joining the club.
“There is little to say. There are executives who are working on it. He is a player who has been scoring for many years, but until he arrives, I have nothing to say,” he told reporters in Minnesota.
Tuesday’s loss was the second of Milan’s pre-season tour of the United States, following a marathon penalty shoot-out defeat to Manchester United.
With one game remaining against Barcelona in San Francisco, Gattuso is taking plenty of positives from their performance.
“The balance of the game is positive – I have seen good things for a time, then in the second [half], the workloads weighed down and made themselves felt,” he said.
“We are doing good things in my opinion. The physical condition, after 20 days of work, is acceptable. And I think we must continue on this path.
“I have seen many positive things about it, [in terms of] how we kept the field and the personality we played with. Their opportunities were born out of our disengagement. In the second half there were several errors. We have to improve in the construction phase.”
Higuaín, who had been a reported target for Chelsea manager Maurizio Sarri, held talks with Milan officials this week after being told he was free to leave the Italian champions and was said to have agreed a deal that will see him remain in Serie A. It was understood that Milan will pay an initial €18m (£16m) for the loan with the option to make the move permanently for €36m (£32m) at the end of the season.
A hardworking striker and a prolific goalscorer, Higuaín is considered to be one of the top strikers of his generation, and is known in particular for his great striking ability,as well as his opportunism and clinical finishing inside the penalty area, while his height, eye for goal, and physique make him a dangerous aerial presence in the box. He also possesses good technical skills, and an ability to link-up with teammates, hold up the ball, and lay it off to other players.
His intelligent offensive movement off the ball and pace in the final third of the pitch make him an offensive threat during counter-attacks, and also allow him to lose his markers and get on the end of passes, or create space for his teammates with his attacking runs.
His playing style has earned him comparisons with compatriots Hernán Crespo and Gabriel Batistuta. Despite his impressive scoring record, Higuaín has often been criticized for failing to deliver in the most important of matches for both club and country. Notable examples include poor performances in cup finals and crucial UEFA Champions League matches during his tenures at Real Madrid, Napoli and Juventus, as well as notable missed chances for the Argentina national team in the 2014 World Cup Final, the 2015 Copa América Final and the Copa América Centenario Final.