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AC Milan eye costly Adebayor
05/06/2008 12:46 - (SA)
Milan - AC Milan are pondering offering a massive transfer to Arsenal to add African star Emmanuel Adebayor to their attack package.
La Gazzetta dello Sport reported on Thursday that the towering Togo striker recently had a meeting with club officials and appears willing to join the Devils.
The real hurdle to the transfer, though, are the 40 million euros the London club ask for his transfer.
The large sum seem to have cooled the enthusiasm of club owner Silvio Berlusconi, who lately promised Milan fans to buy a top-notch striker.
Adebayor fully meets the requests of coach Carlo Ancelotti as he looks for a strong goal-getter, with good aerial qualities and able to keep the defence packages busy, thus leaving room for breaks from other teammates.
The 24-year-old finished the Premier League as second best scorer on 24 goals and was on target in Milan as Arsenal eliminated the Devils from the Champions League.
Major knee injury
Although expensive, his young age makes Adebayor a better investment than other strikers Milan have been looking at.
Chelsea's Didier Drogba is 30, while Samuel Eto'o of Barcelona is 27, but has had troubles recovering from a major knee injury.
Fielded next to the 18-year-old Brazilian Pato and compatriot Kaka, 26, Adebayor would guarantee Milan a stellar attack for several seasons.
Adriano Galliani, who took over Milan's presidency in April as Berlusconi became Italy's prime minister, said he talked with Chelsea general manager Peter Kenyon about Drogba, Andriy Shevchenko, now at Chelsea after seven seasons at Milan, and Kaka.
"We did talk about them and I can tell you, for instance, that Kaka is absolutely not for sale," Galliani said. "He, like Ancelotti, will be with us next season."
English media have speculated on a move by Ancelotti to Chelsea to replace the dismissed Avram Grant, but the Italian coach has pledged to stay with the Devils for an eighth season.
Milan have already snatched French star midfielder Mathieu Flamini from Arsenal as a free transfer and young international striker Marco Borriello on a loan to Genoa.
International defender Gianluca Zambrotta arrived from Barcelona, while goalkeeper Christian Abbiati rejoins the Devils after three seasons on loan at Juventus, Torino and Atletico Madrid.
- SAPA
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