Mark van Bommel can remove the name Jens Petter Hauge from his wish list. AC Milan’s 21-year-old wing striker was one of VfL Wolfsburg’s top priorities, but is moving to Eintracht Frankfurt, it assures Transfermarkt. Van Bommel may now be targeting Mohamed Ihattaren of PSV or Steven Berghuis of Feyenoord, both of whom are seriously in the picture.
Wolfsburg made an official offer for Hauge in June, but failed to settle with AC Milan. I Rossoneric asked at least fifteen million euros for the Norwegian winger, after which Wolfsburg withdrew. On Sunday, Fabrizio Romano reported that Eintracht Frankfurt had made an offer of eight million euros and will add on Monday Transfermarkt admit that the transfer is in a final phase. “The announcement is expected soon,” says journalist Manuel Veth, who does not know for what amount an agreement has been reached.
Hauge has only been playing for AC Milan for a year, which paid five million euros to FK Bodö/Glimt. The left striker came to 28 official matches in Milan, in which he scored 8 times and provided 3 assists. As said, Van Bommel will have to look for an alternative to Hauge with Wolfsburg. Berghuis and Ihattaren are seen as relatively cheap options. Berghuis can leave Feyenoord for four million euros due to a clause in his contract, while Ihattaren is only fixed at PSV for one year.
Last week, Van Bommel said in his presentation as trainer of Wolfsburg that he was not interested in Berghuis in principle. “I know Steven and I wanted to bring him to PSV two years ago,” Van Bommel said to ESPN. “We have contact every now and then, he has also had contact with Wolfsburg. But we really just want young players. Steven is a very experienced boy, 29 years old with a very high return: many assists and goals. But at the moment he is playing not that.”
A much younger player is nineteen-year-old Ihattaren. Van Bommel kept that option more than open last week. “Mo is just a top player. He’s always associated with me of course, because I’ve worked with him. He played well with me, he struggled last season. So wherever I go, Mo will always be He’s just a good guy, who I just get along with. Whether it could be? Who knows. We’re always interested in good players,” Van Bommel smiles.