AC Milan boss Stefano Pioli refused to be drawn on his side's interest in Celtic defender Kris Ajer.

The Italian coach is a known admirer of Ajer with the two clubs in discussions throughout the summer over a potential move for the centre-half. Reports in Italy claimed they could return to the negotiating table in January, with Diego Laxalt a possible makeweight in any deal moving forward.

Pioli, though, ignored questions from local media regarding Ajer and transfers in general, claiming he will not be in charge of the dealings in the next transfer window.

He said: "I’m not in charge of that, I’m not in charge of the transfer window. We still have a lot of games to play before the end of December and then we will see then what will happen in January."

Milan's defensive woes in the centre of defence worsened against the Hoops when Simon Kjaer hobbled off in the first-half.

We exclusively told you back in August that Ajer's representatives asked the club how much they valued the player at, with a view to a move. Herald and Times Sport revealed a tentative request has been made for his valuation from Celtic before he would be permitted to move on.

It is understood that no fee was provided for the player. Olivier Ntcham is another player believed to have made inquiries as to his own valuation ahead of any potential switch.