Milan could redesign entire lineup with Kaka deal

MILAN, Italy — AC Milan could revamp its entire lineup if it accepts Manchester City's world record bid for Kaka.

The temptation to accept Man City's staggering bid and use the funds to freshen up its aging squad — seven of Milan's starting lineup against AS Roma last weekend were over 30 — may prove impossible to resist.

Such a move is not without precedent.

In 2001 Juventus sold Zinedine Zidane to Real Madrid for a world record $65 million in a move that funded the acquisition of Gianluigi Buffon, Lillian Thuram and Pavel Nedved.

With Zidane, Juve had failed to lift the Serie A title for the previous three seasons, but the revamped team built with the proceeds from his sale led to four scudetto titles. Juve was subsequently stripped of the 2005-06 title after a match-fixing scandal.

High-profile players such as Buffon, Sergio Ramos, Bastian Schweinsteiger, Karim Benzema, Emmanuel Adebayor and Samuel Eto'o could all now become targets for seven-time European champion Milan.

The club announced on its TV channel Thursday that it was considering Man City's offer. Mediaset, the broadcaster owned by Milan president Silvio Berlusconi, said the final figure could top £150 million (US$196 million).

Despite the 26-year-old former world player of the year indicating on Wednesday that he wants to "grow old" at Milan, Kaka's spokesman, Diogo Kotscho, told The Associated Press on Thursday that the player will listen to City's proposals.

"If I were Kaka I wouldn't have doubts. I would stay at Milan which is his home," Milan striker and fellow Brazilian Alexandre Pato said in Friday's Gazzetta dello Sport. "He has to decide with his heart and his head, think hard about it, and reason. I hope he keeps playing with me."

Milan's fans have also weighed in.

"Take your hands off Kaka," was scrawled on the sidewalk in front of the club's offices in downtown Milan, and a banner outside read "You can't touch Kaka."

Milan vice president Adriano Galliani refused to comment outside the club's offices Friday morning.

Milan pursued Buffon in 2007 and could make another bid for the Juventus and Italy goalkeeper if it does decide to sell Kaka. Buffon would reportedly cost £40 million (US$52.3 million), Italian daily La Repubblica reported Friday.