"By SHAUN CUTSIS
Published: 8 June 2008
Manchester United have sensationally agreed a £35 million deal for Brazillian playmaker Kaka. The AC Milan star and current European footballer of the year appears close to a move to the newly crowned European champions after United's latest bid was accepted by the Milan club. It is believed that the deal may rise to £40 million over the next 4 years, dependant on appearances.
It appears that Milan's decision to part with their star man was due to Carlo Ancelotti, the Milan coach's desire to revamp his squad following a disastrous season which has seen Milan fail to qualify for next season's champions league. Milan's failure to feature amongst Europe's elite next season has resulted in an estimated £20 million loss, including TV bonusses. As a result, Ancelotti has seen his desire to add Chelsea's Didier Drogba and disillusioned Brazillian samba star Ronaldinho to his squad's roster challenged by the money men of Milan. In a bid to strengthen his squad with the aforementioned players while balancing the books, the sale of Kaka appears to be the best solution to Milan's woes.
Kaka, currently on holiday in his native Brazil, is scheduled to arrive in Manchester next week to discuss personal terms and undergo a medical examination at the Old Trafford club. One stumbling block could be Kaka's massive wages, believed to me in the region of £150,000 per week at Milan. United are reluctant to break their current wage structure, a stand that has also seen current United star Cristiano Ronaldo being tempted into a move to Real Madrid. While Kaka's wage demands appear to be a big stumbling block, it is expected that United will be able to secure the 26 year old's services without breaking their current wage structure. It is believed that David Gill, United's chief executive, will attempt to maintain United's wage structure by structuring a package of £120,000 for Kaka, with further remuneration based on goals, assists and other performance based bonuses.
While the biggest story of the summer has been Real Madrid and Cristiano Ronaldo's courting of each other, it may work in United's favour, with the acquisition of Kaka seemingly being sealed without significant attention and coverage of the media. It is believed that United will attempt to keep hold of Cristiano Ronaldo despite the signing of Kaka, and will attempt to balance the books by the sale of fringe players Louis Saha, Mikael Silvestre, Park Ji Sung and John O'shea."
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