Manchester City blew the January transfer window wide
open last night when they launched a world-record bid of €100
million (£91 million) for Kaká, the AC Milan forward.
Officials from the Barclays Premier League club met their
counterparts from the Serie A team in Milan yesterday and,
according to reports, were armed with a salary offer from Sheikh
Mansour, their billionaire owner from Abu Dhabi, that would result
in the 2007 Fifa World Player of the Year earning £13.6 million a
year after tax.
On a day of frantic transfer activity, Harry Redknapp, the
Tottenham Hotspur manager, was also spotted at the San Siro
watching Adriano, Inter Milan’s out-of-favour striker, in a 3-1
Coppa Italia victory over Genoa.
Tottenham are prepared to offer Gareth Bale as part of any deal,
which could pave the way for Inter to let Adriano go and allow them
to pursue their interest in signing Carlos Tévez, the Argentina
forward, from Manchester United.
Garry Cook, the City chief executive, met Ariedo Braida, the
Milan sporting director, and Adriano Galliani, the Italian club’s
executive vicepresident, to discuss the offer for Kaká. Two agents
were also present: Ernesto Bronzetti, who advises Milan on transfer
activity, and Kia Joorabchian, who has strong links with Brazilian
players and acted on behalf of City in the deals that brought
Robinho — a British-record signing at £34.2 million — and Jô to the
City of Manchester Stadium last summer. Kaká’s agent, Gaetano
Paolillo, and the player’s father, who is involved in his son’s
business affairs, were not present.
Milan tried to explain the arrival of the City delegation by
saying they were there to discuss Dida, the 35-year-old Brazil
goalkeeper, but it is unlikely that it would take the top brass of
both clubs to discuss the transfer of an ageing reserve. Silvio
Berlusconi, the Milan owner, said: “I don’t know anything about any
offer, but I do hope Kaká is not for sale and that he stays.”
Unlike Juventus, who parted with Zinédine Zidane for a
world-record fee of £48 million in 2001, Milan have never sold any
of their star players while still in their prime. Moving Kaká, 26,
would be quite a departure and a blow to the ego of Berlusconi,
Italy’s Prime Minister and one of the wealthiest men in Europe.
However, when faced with Sheikh Mansour’s chequebook and an offer
that would just about cover Milan’s wage bill for an entire season,
even an ego as big as Berlusconi’s might be ready to concede.
Inter, meanwhile, have offered Tottenham the opportunity to sign
Adriano, with Bale, the Wales left back, going the other way in
part-exchange. The 26-year-old Brazil striker’s career has been in
decline after a blistering spell in which he was arguably the
world’s best centre forward.
Adriano has battled against depression, injuries and drink in
recent times and in the latter half of last year he was loaned back
to São Paulo. This season, under José Mourinho, he has made only
seven appearances in Serie A, scoring one goal.
Bale, 19, is believed to have caught Mourinho’s eye during the
Portuguese manager’s time at Chelsea. He has featured 12 times for
Tottenham this season since recovering from an ankle ligament
injury. Selling Adriano and cutting his £5 million-a-year salary
from the Inter wage bill would enable Mourinho to pursue a deal for
Tévez.
