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Arsenal striker Emmanuel Adebayor has agreed a
deal to join AC Milan, according to reports in Italy. Adebayor has
met with Milan officials over the past few days and has shaken
hands on a move to the Italian club, but Arsenal's potential asking
price could rule out a transfer.
Gazzetta dello
Sport say a reported fee of around £32 million for Adebayor
could prove a stumbling block for AC Milan owner Silvio Berlusconi.
The club do not have the spending power they used to, and
Berlusconi, the Italian prime minister, seems reluctant to meet the
valuation of the 24-year-old forward, despite promising the club's
fans he would buy a big-name striker this summer.
Adebayor is said to be top of coach Carlo Ancelotti's
transfer targets as he looks to build a team capable of challenging
for the Serie A title, which for the past three seasons has been
won by city rivals Inter.
AC Milan finished outside of the Champions League
places this season and desperately need to lower the age of a squad
brimming with experience but short on young legs. Ancelotti, who
earlier this week turned down the chance to become Chelsea's new
manager, must now try and convince Berlusconi that Adebayor is
worth splashing out for.
Yesterday AC Milan vice-president Adriano Galliani said
he had talked to Chelsea about the availability of Didier Drogba
and Andriy Shevchenko, but that may have been a smokescreen as the
club look elsewhere to find a proven - and younger - striker.
Adebayor scored Arsenal's second goal in the 2-0 win
over AC Milan which knocked the Italian club out of this season's
Champions League in the first knockout round.
