Real close to sealing 56m Kaka transfer
CHELSEA’S pursuit of AC Milan superstar Kaka appeared to be fading fast last night as Real Madrid closed in on a staggering £56m deal for the coveted Brazil playmaker.
Blues owner Roman Abramovich had hoped the former Fifa World Player of the Year would follow Carlo Ancelotti to Stamford Bridge, having hired the ex-AC Milan manager earlier this week.
But Real look close to clinching a deal for the 27-year-old, following talks in Madrid yesterday between Kaka’s father and agent, Bosco Leite, Milan general manager Adriano Galliani and Madrid president Florentino Perez.
Spanish media reported that a fee of €65m (£56m) had been agreed, with Kaka offered a five-year contract worth £7.8m a year, or £150,000 per week. Kaka’s spokesman played down suggestions of a done deal, but admitted talks were at a sufficiently advanced stage for the player to be presented with Real’s offer. Milan denied Galliani’s presence in Madrid was to negotiate the deal, although owner Silvio Berlusconi said Real had made Kaka a proposal, adding that he feared he would leave.
“Kaka will listen to Real and decide whether or not to make the transfer,” said the player’s spokesman Diogo Kotscho. “What I can say for certain is that the Spaniards and Milan have not reached any agreement.”
Berlusconi added: “I do not know if we can keep Kaka at Milan because they Madrid have offered him so much money. You can’t keep someone against his will.”
Although greater in sterling, due to exchange rates the proposed deal would not eclipse the previous record fee of €73m (then £46m), paid by Real for Zinedine Zidane in 2001.
Completion of a deal could be delayed as Kaka is currently in Brazil on international duty and unable to undergo a medical. That may offer a glimmer of hope to Chelsea and Abramovich, who reportedly held talks with Kaka’s camp last week.