AC Milan
MILAN AND BARCELONA OPEN THE TRANSFER FLOODGATES
With Ronaldinho’s move to AC Milan all but confirmed, it seems that the barrier to a number of summer moves has been released. Barcelona held the key to three transfers and within twenty-four hours, there has been confirmation that the end-game in two of them approaches. Firstly, AC Milan agreed to pay Barcelona £19m for Ronaldinho’s services and subject to a medical, that transfer should be confirmed today.
The funds received will allow Alexander Hleb to leave Arsenal to join the Catalan giants for a fee approaching £15m. The Byelorussian international arrived in the Catalan capital where according to the club’s website, he will undergo a series of medicals at a local hospital and the club’s medical centre. Should these be passed, he will be confirmed as a Barcelona player tomorrow afternoon.
The final key in the jigsaw will be the transfer of Emmanuel Adebayor, again from Arsenal. This is more problematic for Barcelona as funds to purchase the player are believed to dependent upon the sale of Samuel Eto’o. Reports in the Spanish media today suggest that Valencia are considering a €25m bid for the Cameroonian international. Eto’o himself has made it clear he will only leave Barcelona if it suits him but his age will count against him next summer when more youthful rivals will be coveted by the big European clubs. Eto’o is also prepared to play in this summer’s Olympics, a move that will not sit comfortably with new employers, especially with the high value of his fee.
The transfer floodgates are suddenly coming ajar; the end of this week may yet see them open fully.
RONALDINHO ROW GIVES CITY HOPE
Ronaldinho’s exit from the Camp Nou is proving as colourful as his time at Barcelona. Spanish Radio reported last night that Adriano Galliani has argued with the player’s agent and brother, Roberto de Assis, leaving the door open for the improbable sight of the Brazilian international in a Manchester City shirt next season.
Barcelona are known to prefer City’s £22m bid for the player as it is £10m more than Milan have offered. It seems that the Mancunians are dropping their corporate trousers in their attempts to sign the player, offering him more money and the number ten shirt to fit in with his sponsorship by Nike. The deal on the table for the player is in the form of a ‘pay as you play’ contract and is believed to be supported by the sportswear giant.
However, City do not have the presence in the game of the Italians and that is counting heavily against them. Whilst next season will see Milan participate in the UEFA Cup, City have no guarantee of this even with their qualifying campaign starting this week against EB/Streymur from the Faroe Islands. Their ambitions to progress cannot be doubted with £18m already spent on Jo, their signing from CSKA Moscow. How wisely this money has been spent remains to be seen.
For his part, Ronaldinho would not be available for competitive action to his new employers as he seeks to participate in the Olympic Games in Beijing later this summer. It will be useful for either of his suitors to assess his fitness there given that he has not taken part in a competitive fixture since March 9th.
The player expects to make a ‘major announcement’ with regard to his next move this week and it is widely expected to be acceptance of Milan’s offer.
NASRI SIGNS AS HLEB AND ADEBAYOR EDGE CLOSER TO THE EXIT
Samir Nasri has completed his protracted transfer to Arsenal, joining the club just as the first team squad return to training. The French midfielder did not enjoy the best of times at Euro2008, restricted to fleeting cameos as Les Bleus were dumped out of the tournament.
His signing would appear to open the door to Arsenal finalising the sale of Alexander Hleb to Barcelona. Spanish media reports suggest that this will be for an initial €15m, increasing to €18m with bonuses. The two players are very similar, indeed enjoying similar scoring ratios at Marseilles and Arsenal. It has been the biggest criticism of Hleb that during his time at Arsenal, the player has not found the net regularly enough.
That is to miss the essence of his contribution to the side. Hleb recently observed that he is more of a creator than a scorer, attributing this to a youth coach whose mantra was, “Pass, Pass, Pass“. It has made him the fulcrum of many Arsenal attacks whereby his dribbling and close control has allowed colleagues to make the final pass or score. It is this attribute that Nasri will be expected to fill, along with the recuperating Tomas Rosicky. Should those two be able to contribute more goals then it will make Arsenal a potent attacking force in the Premier League.
Whether the strikeforce will include Emmanuel Adebayor seems increasingly unlikely. The Togolese international has attracted the covetous glances of AC Milan and Barcelona all summer, seeking a move for monetary rather than footballing reasons. The Italians are not his first choice of destination but they have upped the ante by offering €30m plus Yoann Gorcuff to Arsenal. This though seems not to be adequate for The Gunners who want £35m, a fee that according to Adriano Galliani on many occasions is out of their reach. Barcelona are thought to be shy of that amount as well, reports suggesting that they will be prepared to go to €35m (£28m). The likely outcome is to be somewhere nearer to £30m for a player who scored thirty goals last season.
Chelsea To Sell Drogba?
Reports this morning suggest that Luis Felipe Scolari is not developing Chelsea through evolution but revolution. Didier Drogba can apparently be bought for £22m, which may be of interest to AC Milan. However, the Italians baulked at making a £24m bid for the Togolese striker so may not be able to fund the purchase of his Ivorian rival.
If the price quoted in The Sun is correct, it represents excellent value for money for a player who has proven that he can score at the highest level. There have been consistent reports for the last twelve months that the player is unhappy at Stamford Bridge but his release would come as some surprise, especially with a new manager in situ.
Strikers of his calibre are scarce at the highest level and Chelsea are continually linked with them. Current favourite in the media is Samuel Eto’o as David Villa committed himself to Valencia yesterday. With Jo costing Manchester City £19m, the two Spanish-based players and Drogba can be considered cheap at only £3-£5m more.
One criticism of Drogba is that he is opinionated and divisive in the dressing-room. Eto’o has a similar reputation having been part of the politically explosive environment in the Camp Nou. His availability was confirmed by Pep Guardiola recently, along with Ronaldinho and the now-departed Deco. The nightmare scenario for the new Barcelona coach is that Eto’o and the Brazilian remain at the Camp Nou for another season. Whilst there has been plenty of rumour surrounding Ronaldinho’s future, little interest is being shown in Eto’o. Barcelona will be actively seeking to change that and may yet be tempted to throw the Cameroonian into the Adebayor mix.
Villa To Stay At Valencia For Now
David Villa has dashed the dreams of supporters of Europe’s biggest clubs by stating his desire to remain at the Mestalla for the coming season. Having finished Euro2008 as top scorer, Villa has been heavily linked with a move away with the Premier League, Barcelona or Real Madrid favoured destinations in those reports.
However, in response to chants from supporters yesterday, Villa spoke at Valencia City Hall where the Spanish squad were celebrating their triumph, the striker said,
I am very grateful and I am very happy here. I hope to stay here. The president should be thanked for wanting to keep the best players and to make a great team
Had Villa left, it would have created a huge problem for Los Ches, still reeling from an indifferent 2007-08 campaign that saw them only pull clear of the relegation spots in the final weeks of the season. Villa maintained his excellent scoring record, a key reason for their survival.
Despite his proclamations, there is still no certainty that he will line-up at Valencia next season. The money that the club could raise from his sale would enable the squad to be strenghtened. That according to President, Agustin Morera, is not the key matter, keeping Villa is,
We had offers last year, we have had more this year and we continue to receive them. Our plan is to keep him and we will try and do this
For how much longer though remains to be seen. Having had his appetite for glory whetted with the national team, his desire for success at club level may yet overrride any sense of loyalty.
Adebayor Sale Hits Trouble
Emmanuel Adebayor’s future was thrown into the air yesterday as AC Milan pulled out of the race to sign the Togolese international. Adriano Galliani said,
Adebayor is overridden by continuous requests for €45 million; these figures are impossible for clubs in Italy
That figure is impossibly high and suggests that Galliani has been reading too many press stories. A suggestion is that he tries about €10m lower and he may get some response from Arsenal. Meanwhile reports are emerging that Barcelona have been snubbed in their attempts to sign the player with a bid of £25m being rejected by Arsenal.
Sensing that the winds of change may not be blowing in his client’s direction, Adebayor’s agent Stephane Courbis has been on a charm offensive, replacing his client’s offensive charm. Courbis said,
There has been a love story between Adebayor and Arsenal, and his relationship with Arsene Wenger is based on trust and respect. If this was a money problem, then he would have asked to leave. I know that Arsenal’s political position is that they don’t pay high salaries. Whatever they decide, the decision will be taken with respect
Respect is the new byword in football, UEFA demand it, FIFA demand it and so too do supporters. Adebayor and his representatives have shown scant respect or regard for the Arsenal fans in recent days and there is a growing discontentment that he may remain at the club. Most would be happy to take the £25m that Barcelona have offered and see the player depart to the Camp Nou.
Even then that is not so straightforward. Joan Laporta has elections on July 6th which may well see him lose his position as President. If that were to happen, the deal may be thrown into doubt. In any case, with summer spending that has already reached €80m, the Blaugrana need to sell before they can buy.
Deco has gone and AC Milan are keen on Ronaldinho which leaves Samuel Eto’o as the main source of income to fund purchases. Adebayor would clean a substantial amount of that money and Arshavin or Hleb the remainder. Whether a new President would sanction more spending remains to be seen.
ADEBAYOR FARCE CONTINUES SPECULATION ABOUT HIS FUTURE
Emmanuel Adebayor threw his Arsenal future into doubt yesterday in Vienna, a mere sixty minutes after he appeared to have settled it by vowing to honour his Arsenal contract. It was an extraordinary hour that dashed and rekindled the hopes of Rossoneri and Blaugrana everywhere.
Adebayor has been the subject of intense media speculation since the end of the Premier League season with Milan and Barcelona vying for media column inches with equal intensity. Vincenzo Morabito and Stephane Courbis are being reported as his Agent by various sources and both are strongly indicating that a move is on the cards. Until recently that is when Courbis spoke of renegotiating his Arsenal deal. Until recently, it was reported that this would mean increasing his £35k per week deal to double that. This week the new salary was reported as having to be £120k per week otherwise Adebayor would be seeking a move.
Morabito said earlier this week that there was a 70-80% chance of Milan getting their man, a mere seven days previously it was claimed that the Togolese international had put in a written transfer request, told Barcelona of this and ignored the Milanese. In short the whole situation on the player’s side is a farce, something that could have been written by Brian Rix and put on in London’s West End.
Throughout this whole charade, Arsene Wenger has maintained one stance: Adebayor is not for sale. Privately though, he must be furious as the disrespect shown by the player would test the patience of a saint. For the Arsenal manager, it is a crucial test of wills. On the one hand, Adebayor deserves a pay-rise, emerging from the shadows of Thierry Henry to score thirty goals last season. However, if his head has been turned by the offers from elsewhere, then it is perhaps time to let him go for an exorbitant fee - €30m has been touted as an offer from Barcelona.
One issue that has to be resolved though is whether or not there has been ‘tapping up’ by Milan and Barcelona. Neither can speak to Adebayor without Arsenal’s permission. FIFA would no doubt bottle any decision as the clubs have been speaking to his Agent not the player directly but what do FIFA think will happen with such conversations? The Agent is duty-bound to report the content to his client and therefore contact is made with the player. FIFA are spineless however, so they will use this third-party intervention to hide behind, once more weakening their authority in the game.
Milan Are Spoilt For Choice
AC Milan have two major transfer targets this summer according to the omnipresent Adriano Galliani, CEO of the Rossoneri. Having spent most of the close season so far trying to bully, agitate, co-erce and beg Arsenal to sell Emmanuel Adebayor, Galliani has admitted that they will also be turning their attentions to Ronaldinho.
Speaking to La Gazetta dello Sport, Galliani said,
There is a ‘yes’ from coach Carlo Ancelotti to go for the Brazilian. It’s Ronaldinho or Adebayor. Buying one excludes taking the other
There appears more chance of success with Ronaldinho as the competition for Adebayor is hotting up. Spanish daily Sport suggest that Barcelona are going to tempt the North London club with a double bid of €45m for Alexandr Hleb (€15m) and Adebayor (€30m). Repeatedly, the Spanish media are reporting that the stumbling block to any deal with Adebayor is Arsenal’s insistence of finding a replacement for the Togolese striker before selling him.
For Milan this represents a bigger issue. Despite the public claims of Vincenzo Morabito, a sale to them seems less likely as Wenger is still disappointed to have lost Mathieu Flamini on a free transfer. Any asking price for Adebayor is likely to be higher than they will pay for the player. Another obstacle for the club to overcome is the absence of Champions League football next season. No matter what their attraction is in terms of history, there is a considerable rebuilding job to be undertaken at the San Siro and convincing the best players to come will be more than a case of waving suitcases of money in their direction.
PLATINI WANTS CLUB DEBT OUTLAWED
Michel Platini has set himself on course to become football’s Robin Hood, robbing the rich and giving to the poor. Days after his plan to adjust the Champions League revenue share to clubs, he is now seriously tackling the issue of the debt levels that plague the larger clubs across the continent.
Regular financial reviews from Deloitte & Touche and their ilk show that the challengers for the premier trophy in European club football are heavily in debt. The problem for Platini is how to deal with such an issue. The framework for any changes already exists with the UEFA Club Licencing process; the Frenchman wants to take it further and curb the excesses of the former G14.
The European Club Association (ECA) was formed as an umbrella organisation within UEFA’s ranks to compensate for the disbandment of the G14; Karl-Heinz Rummenigge has been appointed President, subject to confirmation at the ECA’s meeting in ten days time. An illustrious playing career was followed by a successful spell in the commercial confines of Bayern Munchen, giving the German some kudos within both circles, indicating that the thought processes of the Governing Body and the clubs are in tandem in some respects at least.
Problematically, that harmonious state is set to diverge once the details are scrutinised. Rummeneige believes that the financial stabilitly of the games top clubs is crucial to football’s long-term survival; the clubs have yet to show, en masse, the same sensibilities. Rummenigge and Platini want to curb the excesses shown in expenditure, particularly wages. The financial rewards for players have long been a root cause for the financial turmoil which exists at club level. Proposals that require this spend to be curbed, pegging the salaries to 55% of turnover has been mooted, representing an immediately large obstacle which Platini and Rummeneige will struggle to overcome.
In setting financial restrictions, the duo have to come forward with achievable solutions otherwise they risk alienating the supporters. The simplest option for the clubs to bring revenues and wages into line is to increase matchday ticket prices sharply. For some clubs, the practicalities of doing so are relatively straightforward, limited capacities at the stadia means that waiting lists for tickets become shorter as less affluent supporters drop out. However, there is a downside to this in that those supporters become lost to the game. Broadcasters have reached saturation point in some countries and the matches which have the ratings that advertisers care about are increasingly becoming more polarised toward the top clubs domestically. And what of their offspring? If parents are out of the habit of attending, the example which they set to the next generation is lost and so forth.
Collective Bargaining has long been the preferred method for Broadcast Rights but an era of stringent financial guardianship is likely to see an end to that. The bigger clubs recognise that they would be significantly better rewarded through individual negotiations but the wealth gap which already exists would only become wider under those circumstances. UEFA would need to put in place some financial support for the losers in this situation, something that they have been strongly opposed to doing in the past.
Another crucial area to be addressed is the level of borrowing in evidence at clubs. The English Premier League is regularly held as an example where the excesses of this are most evident. That might be the case now but it was not so long ago that Real Madrid were winning the Champions League, saved from insolvency by the fortuitous sale of land to the city council. The current trend is different, foreign investors funding the purchase of clubs via borrowing which is loaded onto the clubs Balance Sheet or to parent companies, the repayments for which are removed from the club via Management Fees.
An inherently risky strategy, there is nothing wrong with this methodology provided it is managed prudently. However, too many clubs are barely profitable without such charges leading to an accumulation of future financial issues, clubs excessively dependent on future revenues to survive.
Separating the issue of third party borrowing from loans by owners is a thornier issue. Roman Abramovich has funded Chelsea via such loans yet can UEFA treat them as equals to the debts incurred at Manchester United and Liverpool for example, arising from the purchase of the clubs? What of the mortgage that Arsenal have on The Emirates Stadium? Is that of equal standing to any of the three previous examples. Wherever the line is drawn, the losers will bemoan their misfortune. It will take all of Platini and Rummenigge’s political acumen to find a solution that is beneficial to the game as a whole.
GALLIANO SCUPPERS MILANESE SPENDING SPREE
Adriano Galliano has defied newspaper rumours that Milan are on course for a summer of activity in the transfer market. Speaking with La Gazzetta dello Sport, Galliano stated that the Rossonieri’s failure to qualify for next seasons Champions League will have severe financial consequences,
The club has always thought big and continues to do so. Berlusconi has always left me with a great deal of autonomy in management. That is why I say that the choice not to go shopping mad is absolutely mine. There are significant economic reasons that have led us to reflect
Their major signing of the summer so far, Mathieu Flamini, left Arsenal on a free transfer and Galliano’s statement puts into question the reported salary that was offered to the French midfielder, as well as the veracity of reports that they were interested in buying Emmanuel Adebayor.
Arsene Wenger fought off that enquiry with a personal fax in response to Milan’s interest. According to The Sun, the fax told Milan that Adebayor was not for sale,’not for money or gold‘. It remains to be seen how firm Wenger’s resolve is with the news that Barcelona are prepared to offer £24m for the striker to replace Samuel Eto’o at the Camp Nou.
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