Milan to beat Blues to Ronnie
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AC MILAN are set to beat Chelsea to sign Ronaldinho this summer. The Italian giants are lining up a world record bid for the Barcelona ace. Milan have put the first steps in place to lure the Brazilian forward to Serie A. And it is understood that Ronnie, 26, is ready to end his hugely successful four-year spell in Spain. The move would smash the £46million fee Real Madrid paid for Zinedine Zidane in 2001.
Ronaldinho's contract contains a release clause of £85million - but Barca will be forced to lower that figure this summer. Milan have struggled this season due to an eight-point reduction in the wake of the Italian match-fixing scandal and the £30million sale of Andriy Shevchenko to Chelsea. They are desperate to boost their ageing squad ahead of next season, particularly with rivals Juventus - who were relegated in the scandal - set to return to Serie A.
Milan completed the signing of another Brazilian superstar - Ronaldo - last month but the £5m deal was just part of the masterplan to sign Ronaldinho. The Rossoneri know that Ronaldo - overweight and injury-prone - is now past the superb displays witnessed during his five years at city rivals Inter. But they hope Ronaldinho's chance to play with his friend and international team-mate will help convince him to swap the Nou Camp for the San Siro.
Tempting the Chelsea target - who owner Roman Abramovich would love to bring to Stamford Bridge - should be easier than first thought. Ronaldinho has been instrumental behind two La Liga triumphs and last year's Champions League final victory over Arsenal. But the two-time FIFA World Player of the Year is aware that the good times are under threat.
Coach Frank Rijkaard is considering a year's sabbatical when this season ends - and Ronnie also believes it could be an ideal time to leave. The signing of Ronaldo is the latest ploy in Milan's attempt to capture Ronnie.
Ricardo Oliviera, another Brazilian, has failed to impress since signing for them last summer - in fact, he was offered to Real Madrid as part of an exchange for Ronaldo last month. But the Italians originally made their move for the Real Betis forward because his agent - Roberto de Assis - just happens to be Ronaldinho's brother.
De Assis has since split with Oliviera but remains close to Milan. The club have also been encouraged by the recent admission by Barca finance director Ferrano Soriano that there are no plans to start talks with Ronaldinho over an extension to his contract that expires in 2010.
Milan this week claimed that it would be almost impossible to sign him but it may be one of the first of many public declarations as the Italians privately make their move. Vice-president Adriano Galliani said: "In my opinion Ronaldinho is a player who will never move from Barcelona. "Surely president Joan Laporta, the player and his brother know that should there be such an occasion, Milan would be in pole position. But it's useless having illusions.
"I have always said that I don't believe such a rich and powerful club will decide to deprive themselves of such an important player. "It's clear that should they have to do this, we will be there. This is the clear opinion I have from president Silvio Berlusconi."
To fund any move for Ronaldinho, Milan would almost certainly have to sell their current Brazilian star Kaka. Real Madrid are keen to take him to Spain. In a further twist Inter president Massimo Moratti - who is already chasing Barca's young Argentine star Lionel Messi - is set to enter the bidding for Ronaldinho.
Moratti is furious that Milan have signed their former golden boy Ronaldo and are now ready to hijack their bid. Whether this will herald a genuine offer for Ronaldinho or a simple plan to propel the bidding war ski-high remains to be seen. Either way, the battle to prise the world's best player from Barca is already under way. -
wow tat means C.Ronaldo will go Barca ar?
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damn! yeah, if ronaldinho leaves, c.ronaldo would move to barca. by then. man u would have gotten the over-rated nani from sporting lisbon.
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Get Malouda loh... or Kaka~~~~~~!!!
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I dont understand why Ronaldinoho wants to move to corrupted league. Serie A is no longer what it is ever since after the scandal. Why move to a league filled with corruption and violent fans. Ronaldinho, you are better off at staying at Barcelona.
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ronaldinho wont go to italy. it doesent suit his style of play and italian football are getting corrupted lately.
i bet he would remain a barca player next season -
but they play the best football.Originally posted by Airbus330Captain:I dont understand why Ronaldinoho wants to move to corrupted league. Serie A is no longer what it is ever since after the scandal. Why move to a league filled with corruption and violent fans. Ronaldinho, you are better off at staying at Barcelona. -
In terms of?Originally posted by dragg:but they play the best football. -
Watched their recent matches? They suck, really. They do not impose the fear like the past season. Ronnie is not having that much influence now, he looked more like human now.Originally posted by dragg:but they play the best football. -
Time for Roman to splash his cash again? And if he does... and if chelsea don't do well again next season, will that "special one" once again come out and say he didn't want him in the first place but no choice had to take him?
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damn it...every1's after C ronaldo...
if ronaldinho can move to milan with kaka still around...that would be wonderful..kaka gattuso pirlo ronaldinho...wat a midfield -
hmm..i always tot ronaldinho was just above good...not great...Originally posted by SexyChin:Watched their recent matches? They suck, really. They do not impose the fear like the past season. Ronnie is not having that much influence now, he looked more like human now. -
He was great the previous season. Really god like in La Liga. You have to watch him to believe it. That's the reason he won the World Player of the Year two times in a row.Originally posted by R3SsH|n:hmm..i always tot ronaldinho was just above good...not great... -
The Barcelona president Joan Laporta has told the coach Frank Rijkaard and sporting director Txiki Begiristain that the Catalan club must not waste what he called an "unique opportunity" to sign Cristiano Ronaldo from Manchester United.
Laporta is under the impression that Ronaldo wants a move to the Camp Nou and is adamant that Barcelona have the funds to buy him. He is bullish about a head-to-head fight with Real Madrid but although he has insisted Barcelona must sign Ronaldo come-what-may he has reassured his staff that the departure of Ronaldinho to Milan is not a pre-requisite to capturing the Portuguese winger.
Milan's vice-president Adriano Galliani claims the Italians are in "pole position" to sign an unhappy Ronaldinho in the summer. He has, though, distanced himself from a hostile bid, insisting: "We don't want to do what other clubs are doing. Ronaldinho is under contract with Barcelona and we will negotiate only if Barcelona decide to sell him." -
good players make good players around them great...Originally posted by SexyChin:He was great the previous season. Really god like in La Liga. You have to watch him to believe it. That's the reason he won the World Player of the Year two times in a row.
great players make lousy players around them good... -
spurs to sign davids and ronaldo and becks
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dont think ronny will go milan leh. more like ronaldo going barca