AC Milan have seen their first bid for Athletic Club centre-back Aymeric Laporte rejected.

The Basque club have set a €50m buyout clause for the French youth international, who has established himself as one of the brightest young prospects in La Liga.

According to Sport Mediaset the Rossoneri have seen their initial offer of €15m rejected by Athletic Club, with an improved bid expected to follow.

Milan are keen to improve on their defensive record for the upcoming season, but aren’t prepared to meet Athletic Club’s valuation for the 21 year-old.

Los Leones could entertain a lower fee as they look to involve exclusively Basque players in their team, but President Josu Urrutia still wants a figure close to the €50m.

Milan will be weighing up a second bid for Laporte in the coming weeks, but do have alternatives closer to home in Torino pair Kamil Glik and Nikola Maksimovic.