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AC Milan Inter Transfer Policy
AC Milan and Inter Are Outwitting Barcelona and Real Madrid In Transfer Market
James Goyder
AC Milan are on the verge of completing a swoop for Sampdoria's Antonio Cassano. If the temperemental yet talented forward does arrive it will take the contingent of former Real Madrid and Barcelona attackers in the team to four. Ronaldinho and Zlatan Ibrahimovic both came directly from Barcelona while Cassano and Robinho were already at least one club removed from Real Madrid by the time the Rossoneri came calling.
Full back Gianluca Zambrotta was also bought from Barcelona and midfielder Clarence Seedorf came from Real Madrid via Inter Milan. If signing former La Liga players is a deliberate policy it appears to be paying dividends for AC Milan who are riding high at the top of Serie A.
There is much to be said for raiding either Barcelona or Real Madrid for unwanted players as there are clearly bargains to be had. The piece of business which saw Inter Milan pick up €46 million plus Samuel Eto'o in exchange for Ibrahimovic remains one of the best in the history of European football.
It took Barcelona less than a year to become disillusioned with the Swedish striker who is now on loan at AC Milan, who have the option to sign him for €24 million. This will surely be too good a deal to turn down as Ibrahimovic, along with Eto'o, has both been scoring goals for fun in Serie A this season.
Ronaldinho cost Barcelona €32 million and established himself as the finest player on the planet while at the club, winning both the European and world footballer of the year awards. He fell out of favour at the Nou Camp and AC Milan were able to snap him up for €17 million, an eminently reasonable figure considering that the player was still only 28.
There is much to be said for raiding either Barcelona or Real Madrid for unwanted players as there are clearly bargains to be had. The piece of business which saw Inter Milan pick up €46 million plus Samuel Eto'o in exchange for Ibrahimovic remains one of the best in the history of European football.
It took Barcelona less than a year to become disullusioned with the Swedish striker who is now on loan at AC Milan, who have the option to sign him for €24 million. This will surely be too good a deal to turn down as Ibrahimovic, along with Eto, has both been scoring goals for fun in Serie A this season.
Ronaldinho cost Barcelona €32 million and established himself as the finest player on the planet while at the club, winning both the European and world footballer of the year awards. He fell out of favour at the Nou Camp and AC Milan were able to snap him up for €17 million, an eminently reasonable figure considering that the player was still only 28.
Although Ronaldinho has been a peripheral figure in the current campaign his form in the first two seasons in Italy was sufficiently outstanding to make a mockery of Barcelona's decision to sell him so cheaply.
It was Manchester City, rather than Real Madrid, that AC Milan got the better off when signing Robinho who was one of very few players to be moved on at a profit by Los Merengues. Signed from Santos for €24 million he was sold for €42.5 million to the big spending British side.
Despite enjoying initial success in the Premier League, Robinho became disillusioned with life in England and AC Milan are rumoured to have paid in the region of €18 million for the services of a player who, aged 26, is still very much in his prime.
The major difference between Cassano and the other three forwards, Ibrahimovic, Ronaldinho and Robinho, is that Real Madrid were not forced to pay a premium for the Italian striker. A falling out with Roma and the impending expiration of his contract meant he was available for just €5 million.
AC Milan are hoping to snap Cassano up on a free transfer but clauses inserted in the deal which took the player to Sampdoria could complicate the prospective transfer. Real Madrid are reportedly due a €5 million pay off if the player is sold, a sum AC Milan are reluctant to come up with.
With former Real Madrid men Wesley Sneijder (Inter) and Arjen Robben (Bayern) outstanding last season and Rafael Van Der Vaart thriving at Tottenham it is clear that AC Milan are not the only club hovering over the discarded super stars at Real Madrid and Barcelona.
Inter Milan and AC Milan seem to be able to export players, such as €68.5 million Kaka, to Spain at a premium while importing players, like €15 million Sneijder, from La Liga for a footballing pittance.
It is a happy habit and one which helped Inter Milan dominate Europe last season with the aid of no fewer than six former La Liga players in Walter Samuel, Esteban Cambiasso, Thiago Motta, Wesley Sneijder, Samuel Eto'o and Diego Milito.
Italian football is not the financial force it once was and Barcelona and Real Madrid have the big money. The Serie A sides continually compensate by showing that they are far shrewder transfer market operators than their Spanish adversaries.
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