AC Milan scout Ernesto Bronzetti believes the Rossoneri have a "50% chance" of signing Arsenal forward Emmanuel Adebayor, but claims the London club intend to sell to Barcelona.
Milan vice president Adriano Galliani said on Thursday that Adebayor was now his club's sole transfer target this summer, and the the Italian club would be putting all their efforts into signing the player. However, reports in Spain have suggested that Barcelona have reached a deal to sign Adebayor for 27million euros after repeatedly snubbing the approaches from Milan.
Bronzetti - a renowned FIFA agent and the man behind most of the big transfers between La Liga and Serie A - confirmed these reports, saying that Barca president Joan Laporta hopes to sign the 24-year-old in a bid to strengthen his position ahead of the club's presidential election on July 6.
"Let's say we have a 50% chance, a lot will depend on the wishes of the player in the end," he told Italian TV station Radio Radio TV.
"Arsenal want to sell him to Barcelona, for their own motives. Barcelona tell me they already have an agreement with the player. "I only know that the Barcelona president, Laporta, after having been doubted, now wants to shut everyone up by buying a big-name forward."
However, Bronzetti believes Milan still have an advantage over their Spanish rivals, as Barcelona need to sell before they can finalise any deal with Arsenal. The Catalan club have already spent big this summer, and need to sell unwanted players such as Ronaldinho and Samuel Eto'o to raise funds.
Both players have been told they can leave the club, and both have been linked with Milan. But Bronzetti believes publicly announcing the pair can leave will only drive their price down, and urged Milan not to buy either of the two so as not to supply Barca with the funds.
He continued: "I do know they won't have the economic means to buy him until they sell Eto'o or Ronaldinho, so I'd advise Milan not to buy either of them or they'll finance the operation of taking Adebayor to Barcelona. "(Saying the players weren't needed) was a massive strategic error. Now anyone who wants to buy those players is maybe going to wait until August 29.
"They've spent 57million euros already and their finances aren't infinite, so now if wait a bit the price for Ronaldinho and Eto'o will go down."