Milan are once more being linked with unsettled Barcelona star Ronaldinho after Vice-President Adriano Galliani met with the Brazilian’s agent.
The two-time FIFA World Player of the Year has completely fallen out with Barça and wasn’t even in Frank Rijkaard’s Champions League squad against Schalke.
Although he is under contract at the Nou Camp until 2010, ‘Dinho will almost certainly leave the club in the summer.
Milan President Silvio Berlusconi had been determined to lure the 28-year-old to San Siro, but seemed to have gone cold on the idea recently.
However, Galliani met Ronaldinho’s brother and agent Roberto Assis and market consultant Ernesto Bronzetti for dinner yesterday after a three-month hiatus and rumours suggest that the hunt may be back on.
It has been suggested that it would take around £12m to sign ‘Dinho and that the former PSG man would be willing to take a pay cut from his current £5m salary per year.
The fee would be a considerable reduction on the £30m quoted this time last year, but there is still the possibility Ronaldinho could use FIFA Article 17 to escape Barça.
Article 17 allows players to buy out their contract at a club as long as they are at least 28 and have spent three years at a club.
While Galliani’s meeting with Assis may have been to discuss Ronaldinho, it is equally likely that they were talking about Ricardo Oliveira, who is also a client of Assis.
The Rossoneri-owned hitman has been on loan to Real Zaragoza and has impressed with 11 La Liga goals, but the Spaniards seem unwilling to invest £10m to make the deal permanent.
