Forsberg not put off by absence of Champions League amid Milan links

Emil Forsberg insists a lack of Champions League football would not put him off signing for AC Milan ahead of next season.

Rumoured suitors Milan finished sixth in Serie A, only enough for Europa League qualification, while Forsberg and RB Leipzig secured a seat at Europe’s top table by taking second in the Bundesliga.

The Sweden international has also been linked with a move to Arsenal, who similarly missed out on a place in next season’s Champions League, but says this will not play a big part in his thinking.

“[Milan] is a fantastic, big club,” he said, in quotes reported by Aftonbladet. “It is an interesting project, making investments and wanting to take back the throne again.

“[The Champions League] is not a major factor for me. In the end it’s only about football. I want to have an important role in the team, but I’ll see – my agent takes care of all that.”

#OnThisDay, in 1951, we won our 4th Scudetto! #weareacmilan pic.twitter.com/HD6mk70MdI

— AC Milan (@acmilan) June 10, 2017

The 25-year-old scored eight goals and supplied 19 assists for Leipzig as he starred in their surprise Bundesliga title challenge just a year after achieving promotion to the top flight.

Forsberg signed a one-year contract extension with Leipzig in February so is tied to the club until 2022.