jose - soccer

All of Italy is reporting it now. At first it was just a crazy rumor. Nobody believed that Kaka would leave Milan for Manchester City. But now it’s slowly becoming official. According to Italian press reports (including Milan Channel, Milan’s official TV station), Milan have accepted Manchester City’s 120 million euro offer for Kaka. Kaka’s father has flown to Manchester to negotiate terms and once that is complete Kaka will be a Manchester City player. Yes, you’re reading right, Kaka will become a Manchester City player. Nobody expected this, but this truly shows the power of money in modern day football. This is similar to Juventus’ sale of Zidane to Real Madrid a few years back, where they didn’t really want to get rid of him, but the offer was too good to refuse. Same scenario here. With 120 million euro, Milan can makeover their whole squad, and fix all the areas of the team that need fixing. The way I see it Kaka doesn’t want to leave Milan, but he knows 120 million can really help the club he loves and he always stated how he’s fascinated by the EPL (he speaks fluent English as well). We’ll see how this all unfolds tomorrow, but right now it’s looking like Kaka is a Manchester City player.

It is being reported in the English tabloid press that Kaka is now expected to join Manchester City next week - though more through pressure than preference. Early editions of Saturday's Daily Mirror claim that Kaka has been "railroaded into accepting the £108 million move."

According to Mirror Sport, the Milan and Brazil playmaker bid an emotional farewell to club coach Carlo Ancelotti when he left training on Friday, and is unlikely to figure in the Rossoneri's Serie A clash with Fiorentina at the San Siro on Saturday night.

It remains to be seen how accurate this report is, but the paper, on its online version, says Kaka's love affair with the Milan club is over, adding that the blow will be softened by a £10m signing-on fee and a £15m-a-year salary. It also says that Kaka’s father and chief adviser, Bosco Leite, will hold talks with City officials in Milan on Monday, but reports claims from the Middle East that Kaka has already agreed to the transfer with Manchester City’s Abu Dhabi-based owners.

Despite the astronomical amounts of money being offered, former World Player of the Year Kaka, 26, is said by Mirror Sport's sources to be unhappy about the move, feeling that he is being pressurised into leaving a team he helped win the Champions League in 2007 for one embroiled in a battle to avoid relegation. City's last major trophy was the 1976 League Cup. Earlier this week Kaka revealed that he hoped to “grow old” with Milan, to whom he is contracted until 2013.

(source: goal, italy.theoffside.com)