AC Milan are locked in talks with Inter Milan this morning over a deal for Andrea Ranocchia.

Milan coach Vincenzo Montella has requested a new centre-half signing and management are ringing around today to meet his demand.

However, Milan's transfer budget is spent and they can only work the loan market.

Talks have kicked off with Inter over a deadline deal for Ranocchia.

But the stumbling block, for the moment, is Inter's insistence that Milan buy the defender outright.