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| Is £108m Kaka bid a hoax? |
Sunday 18 January, 2009 |
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Manchester City sources suggest the £108m offer for Kaka is a “ridiculous” story drummed up by the media and Milan also refuse to state the figures.
“There is an official bid on the table and it has gone through all the proper channels, but I will not tell you what it entails,” said general manager Adriano Galliani.
The Observer newspaper has made remarkable allegations that Milan patron Silvio Berlusconi's media empire sparked the rumours so that he would gain positive publicity when Kaka turned it down.
If the Brazilian does quit San Siro, then the club can say it was because of a record-shattering transfer fee that more than doubles the £46m paid by Real Madrid for Zinedine Zidane from Juventus.
However, the reports in the English newspapers claim Manchester City's offer is closer to £50m than £108m.
"The reports are absolutely ridiculous and so far wide of the mark it's unreal," said a source close to City owner Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan.
"Kaka would command a price around that of previous world-best players. But at the moment it is difficult to pick an exact number.
"A hundred million, in pounds or Euros, is ridiculous. It doubles the previous record for a transfer and, in the current economic climate, how could there possibly be a return on that or a salary of £500,000 a-week?
“You could do so much else with that amount of money. And, whatever happens, there would be no lump sum payment: payments would be over time.
"You have to remember also that the player has not even been spoken to by us - he is simply one of a list that interests Mark Hughes.
“We merely said, 'Ok, this might be nice.' It's a process like viewing a house. If you like what you see, then you take it on a stage. It should be remembered that Manchester City's owner is an intelligent man. He will not just throw money at anything.”
Intellectual property rights are another sticking point that could be worth £20m per year for Kaka, as he already has sponsorship deals with Armani and Adidas.
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Gallery: Farewell Kaka?
There were emotional scenes as Kaka saluted San Siro, possibly for the last time before a £108m move to Manchester City. More
Real Madrid match Kaka offer?
Real Madrid are reportedly ready to match Manchester City’s offer for Kaka, so he could force Milan to wait until the summer. More
Galliani: Kaka solves credit crunch
Milan general manager Adriano Galliani explains why he would never have sold Kaka a year ago and is now reconsidering. More
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