As i said earlier, do not believe everything you read. Apparently, the Rossoneri will not be buying any new players nor will they be selling any of their current players.

Contrary to reports that Huntelaar was in England to negotiate with EPL clubs Tottenham, Liverpool and Manchester City about a possible transfer, his agent Arnold Oosterveer has denied the claims stating that they were just nothing but rumours.

“I have read many things in the papers recently, but there is nothing true,” he told Sport.co.uk.

“There have been no offers from the Premier League. His intention is to stay with Milan.

“In addition, the club have never shown an interest in selling him.”

In my opinion, Huntelaar is one of Milan’s most talented players. Despite a poor showing last season, the 26 year old still has the potential to become a legend in the club.

His keen eye for goal and pace are qualities that Milan will desperately need when they take on Lecce in their opening game of the 2010/2011 campaign at the San Siro on August 28th.

Milan’s first two games are against relatively weak sides and they should capitalise on this if they are to become serious challengers for the scudetto. However, their 2-0 loss to Varese last week raises a few concerns.

Milan have recently started to build a reputation of losing matches which they should be winning. This coupled with their ever poor start in the Serie A has been the main reason why they do not perform as well as they should.

Inter on the other hand have dominated the league these past few years because of their consistency. If Huntelaar becomes a regular fixture in Allegri’s squad, then you can be certain that the Rossoneri would have at least solved a part of their problem.

The other part would be for them to acquire some youth in their squad-however unlikely this is.

Photo credit: from djsmaniak

Just it was revealed earlier, the merit between Ronaldinho and Ac Milan might just reach a new chapter especially should the Brazilian ace agree to renew his contract deal with the Rossoneri.

After reports saying that the Italian giant are preparing to extend the former Barcelona’s star playing time at San Siro until 2014 with a wage reduction, the latest news stated that Dinho wants an assurance before accepting the offer.

Italian paper, Corriero Dello Sport, believes that Ronaldinho would agree to continue his adventure with Milan and have his wages cut only if the fashion capital club can promise a competitive squad that can help him bring titles to Via Turatti. This surely would be something refreshing for Milan fans, considering the player that provide such an important contribution last season, is hungry for titles and want a clear exciting projects should he decide to stay.

Now everything could rely on the rossoneri’s vice president, Adriano Galliani’s, decision as how would he convince the Brazilian that Milan is on the right track to challenge for important trophies again starting from next summer. Reports also claim that, the Milan’s management are seriously considering to look for ammunition that will help the team’s course and currently eying to bring reinforcement up front and also in the midfield area.

Despite Galliani’s previous statement saying that Milan will only buy players should someone leave, Ronaldinho’s request might just push things up for the Rossoneri’s management to get their act together as the Brazilian could still reject the agreement as nothing has been signed yet. With offers from clubs back home and also MLS’ LA Galaxy knocking, the ex-PSG player could just opted to take those options if he felt playing in Milan won’t bring him anymore silverware to challenge for.

photo credit: andrew prickett photography

Here is some good news for all Milan fans. Ronaldinho will remain with the Rossoneri for another season. Milan chief executive Adriano Galliani has also stated that a new deal to keep the play maker at the San Siro for longer is close to completion.

In what had become a tussle for his sensational skills involving clubs from some of the world’s major leagues, the 30 year old seems set to stay in the fashion capital for at least another year. However, before you pop open the champagne bottles, there is also some little bad news.

Apparently, Galliani also indicated that Dinho’s deal marks the end of Milan’s participation in the summer transfer market. They say everything comes at a price and this  is no exception. Yeah i know that this is bound to  cause you some anxiety especially considering how desperately Milan need some youth in their ranks, moreover potential deals to land new players could stall because of this statement.

What this means for the Keisuke Honda deal i do not know. What i do know is this, Milan will be opening Pandora’s box if they fail to buy some new talented players. In an interview with gazetta.it Galliani explained his decision.

“The market is closed, assuming no one departs, this is the team,” he stated.

“If someone does leave, then someone will come. If a small part then a little reinforcement, if medium an average one, and if a champion leaves than a champion will arrive. But I think this will be our squad.”

So can Milan be a threat to the likes of Inter, Roma and Juve next season? As much as i want to believe that they would, i do not think its possible. Is Ronaldinho the answer to Milan’s problems? He showed us what he can do when he is in top form but then again, banking on one player  could spell doom for their Serie A campaign. With a little over a month to go until the transfer window closes, there is still hope that maybe Milan could add another talented player to their squad.

Photo credit: from stemph

The alarm bell rings harder on Milan’s door as they were embarrassed on their first pre-season game by newly promoted serie B team Varese that surprisingly defeated the Italian giant 2-0 at Stadio Franco Ossola in Varese. The Rossoneri’s defense were pretty much to blame for the two goals that the serie B team managed to score in the first half through Buzegoli and Cellini, despite dominating the possession the 7th time Champions League winner just unable to break down Varese’s defense.

The Rossoneri started the game with a combination of 4-3-2-1 that turns into 4-3-1-2 at times with Clarence Seedorf playing behind Pato-Borriello partnership, this combination looks pretty good although the Italian striker seems to suffer from another minor injury that troubled him earlier on. Varese on the other hand playing the classic 4-4-2 formation and doesn’t really looked dominating as they were pretty much relying to play on the counter.

However, Milan’s awful defensive coordination in the first half was the cause of all Rossoneri’s problem as on the 6th minute, Buzegoli manage to latch on to Neto Pereira’s pass and slot the ball home easily into the red and black squad’s net. Despite some attempts from Pato, Flamini, Boriello and Seedorf to equalize, it was the home side that manage to score again through Cellini in the 30th minute after making the most of Kaladze’s poor defending.

On the second half, Milan make some substitutions as they try out some of their youngsters such as Verdi, Oduamadi, Strasser, Merkel, Novinic along with experience players like Antonini, Yepes and Marco Amelia. This changes gives a bit stability especially in defense as Yepes manage to prove his worth by performing a solid display after replacing Kaladze, however the lack of creativity upfront with the absence of Ronaldinho and Pirlo seems evidence especially with the poor display of some players such as Oddo, Abate, Jankulovski and Kala.

This result surely will give a strong warning for Milan’s new coach Massimiliano Allegri who has a difficult task ahead of him especially should the team won’t be adding at least two more players or releasing the likes of Oddo, Jankulovski and Kaladze. Those three players still disappoints the fans on today’s game as instead of delivering the goods, the three provided more errors which resulted in some booing by the Milanisti.

However, this defeat shouldn’t be taken as a verdict of the Rossoneri’s chances next season but simply a warning for Allegri that he needs to work harder if he wants to have a successful first year as Milan’s coach. Not only that, this defeat might open up the management’s eyes in trying to get new players that the squad still needs and also ship out those that won’t contribute much so the Italian giant can really be competitive next season.

photo credit: Yme Bosma

Cometh the hour, cometh the man. Juventus captain and club icon Alessandro Del Piero inspired the Bianconeri to a 2-1 friendly win over French champions Lyon on Saturday. The Turin outfit went down early in the first half when Giorgio Chiellini unfair play in the 6 yard box resulted in a penalty for Lyon.

Ederson successfully converted to put the visitors in the lead. In similar fashion, on the 26th minute, Juventus were handed a penalty after a Amauri was brought down in the penalty area. Del Piero stepped up to score his 199th goal for the Bianconeri.

Contrary to what many people thought, Juve’s forward line of Diego, Del Piero and Simone Pepe linked up exceptionally well. If this is a foretaste of what we can expect from Juventus in the new season, then i can hardly wait for the games to kick-off.

Apparently, Inter and Roma have worthy competition for the scudetto next season. Until Milan moves to acquire some new players, then they do no stand any chance of posing a real threat for the title.

Juve’s win albeit be in a friendly is significant nonetheless. Coming off a bad 09/2010 campaign that saw the finish the league in 7th place, the Bianconeri failed to secure qualification for Europe’s elite club competition- the UEFA Champions League.

Saturday’s win also helped to prepare them for next week’s third round Europa League third qualifying round against Irish side Shamrock Rovers. Like i mentioned earlier last week, Juventus might just be the surprise of the season.

With such a convincing win over one of Europe’s big club’s, Juventus no doubt sent out a strong message to all their opposition in the Serie A in the new season.

Photo credit: from salvatoregiambelluca

As Spring gives way to Summer in the Northern Hemisphere an equally fascinating change occurs in most European football clubs. Tis the season that players switch clubs for different reasons one of course being money. However, before a deal can be reached, football fans, enthusiasts and even the players themselves can be sure of being subjected to the never ending rumours and reports that link them to doexens of club’s.

That is why i have made it a rule not to get too excited whenever i read reports that mention some of the most unreasonable transfers you could ever think of. Frankly, i think most of these reports doing the rounds are just personal opinions, dreams and interests that some someone would wish to happen.

If you follow Italian football closely (like i know you do), you would at least agree with me on this point. So much has been written concerning probable transfers that most of you feel already drained and the season has not yet even begun! I know this because i feel the same way.

The biggest Serie A transfer news is undoubtedly that of Ronaldinho. The Brazilian play maker has been and continues to be the talk of Italian football with just a couple of weks left before the start of the 2010/2011 campaign.

The latest news is that Dinho has been offered a new deal by Milan although he is yet to meet with the club officially to discuss it. Some other very interesting Milan news is that they are close to signing Japan midfielder Keisuke Honda.

However, Honda’s agent has refuted the claims stating that he is unaware of any interest from the Italian giants and this just the tip of the iceberg. There are loads and loads of other transfer rumours that do not have any hope of  materialising. So my simple advise to you, is don’t be too quick to believe all that read unless it is from a source that can be trusted i.e. the player or agent. But then again these people change their minds faster than a chameleon changes its colour.

Photo credit: from enot_female

AC Milan’s versatile defender Gianluca Zambrotta has extended his contract with the Rossoneri until June 2012. Despite his age, this is one deal that i am very pleased with. Zambrotta is still a very good player and i believe, the next two years will produce the best in him.

Gifted with a natural attacking ability,  Zambrotta was one of the few Azzurri players who stood out in the World Cup. The former Barcelona and Juventus player joined Milan in May 2008 signing a 3 year contract earning him annual wages of 4 million Euros.

It is not known whether his contract extension has been improved however, i bet it is rather obvious that Milan are not ready to spend anything more than 4 million Euros on any player including their stars like Ronaldinho and Seerdorf.

A statement on the club’s official website confirmed this:

“A.C Milan communicates to have extended the contract of Gianluca Zambrotta until June 30, 2012.”

With right back Massimo Oddo also renewing his contract and the signing of Sokratis Papapthastopoulos, Milan’s defense should be water tight next season. A key worry however for many of its fans is whether the club will sign an additional attacker who can partner well with Pato and Ronaldinho upfront.

Sevilla’s Fabiano and Wolfsburg’s Dzeko have been consistently linked with a move to the San Siro but Milan has backed out of any negotiations due to the hefty buy-out prices that these clubs are asking for.

Moreover, the club needs a young player who has a lengthy career ahead of him. Milan problems can be closely compared with those that Arsenal are experiencing. Arsene Wenger believes that the future of Arsenal lies with the youth and he has gone onto to buy many young players who were largely unheard of and nurtured them into world class players.

Wenger also has a strict policy where the club does not offer more than a one year contract extension to players who are over the age of 30. Now, this policy is very good if you are running a youth team however, if you are competing in major competitions against very strong teams and expect a youthfully side to carry the day at the expense of experience, you must be dreaming.

Similarly, if  a team majorly consists of  old players and is regularly competing against young and agile opponents, there is no way they can be successful. A perfect solution would be to blend both the young and old to produce a killer winning combination.

If both Milan and Arsenal can do this, i do not see any reason why they cannot dominate their respective leagues. Ironically, both these teams meet in a pre-season friendly on July 31st in Arsenal’s Emirates stadium for the Emirates Cup.

Photo credit: from milan-fans.tk

The serie A’s new season hasn’t started yet but two big rivals on the league, Ac Milan and Juventus seems set to start an early war as the two reportedly are working hard to acquire the signature of Wolfsburg’s striker Edin Dzeko. Despite the latest statement from the Germany club’s management saying that they would not sell Dzeko this season, I can assure you the rumors won’t rest until the transfer window ends on August 31.

Before Wolfsburg’s latest hands off warning, the media reported that both Milan and Juve are trying out all possibilities to get their hands on the highly rated young Bosnian striker, scared off by the price tag both Italian giants are lining up another scenario by using their players as trade. The Rossoneri reportedly are ready to insert Gennaro Gattusso as part of the deal while Juve are set to include Diego or Iaquinta as their bargaining chip, however seeing from the German club’s latest statement it seems that those offers haven’t pleased them at all.

The fact that previously the Bundesliga keeps changing their attitude towards Dzeko’s possible sale, you won’t bet that the rumors regarding the 24-years-old player’s future will end soon, especially the player reportedly is keen to move in search of bigger challenge. This weekend, the press was filled with news of the Bosnian talent’s flirts with both Milan and Juve, as there were rumors of his appreciation and hopes to play for either of those Italian top clubs.

Surely in many interviews, Dzeko has stated that the club he supported since kids was Ac Milan and should there be a chance he wants to play there, but if Juve can provide him the opportunity to step up his career the striker would probably accept it. Personally, should Dzeko leaves Milan might be the best target for him as not only he will fulfill his boyhood dream but the fact that the Rossoneri is playing at the Champions League certainly gives them a point more than Juve that will only compete in Europe League.

With more than a month before the transfer market close, Dzeko’s future will definitely be an interesting act to witness for many football fans as the talented striker have been attracting many big and rich clubs in the past two seasons. Moreover, how long will Milan and Juve plan to chase their target as both team, especially Juve certainly want to set their team as soon as possible so they can be ready when their footballing season kicks off again.

photo credit: epicharmus

After some delays on the process Ac Milan have finally confirm the signing of talented Greek defender, Sokratis Papasthoupoulos, who was officially presented to the fans today right on the team’s first training session along with two other major singings, Marco Amelia and Mario Yepes . The former Genoa player was brought in with a rather unique methods as according to the official reports, the 22-years-old versatile defender arrived at San Siro with the expense of three Milan’s primavera players, Rodney Strasser, Gianmarco Zigoni and Nnamdi Oduamadi, who will be co-owned by the Grifone.

Despite previous random rumors about the process of the deal, it seems that Milan are making a good deal as although they have to sell 50% of their promising players contract, the Italian giant doesn’t look to cash out any money for the deal. Moreover, the news also claimed that there’s a chance that at least one of the youngsters could still be playing for the Rossoneri next season, the one reportedly will be kept by the Italian giant is their young midfielder Strasser.

Surely it is a deal that the Rossoneri fans should be happy about as without having to pay a lot, the team managed to acquire the service of a young and talented defender that could represent the rejuvenation process, Milan have been planning. Papa’s arrival certainly will help in filling the gap that the Diavolo Rosso’s been having in defense as the Greek international defender should at least be able to add the depth in the back line.

Although Milan would probably still need at least two more important signings in other positions to be an ideal title contender, the fans could really hope that Papa’s signing is indeed the step towards a rejuvenate team in the future. Beside the former Genoa player, the Rossoneri have also completed the signing of three exciting young players from Inter Milan, they are Marco Ezio Fossati, Christian Daminuta and Attila Filkor. Out of the three youngsters, two of them might have a chance to feature in the first team especially if they manage to impress Massimiliano Allegri on the club’s pre-season.

Just as I previously stated since Marco Amelia’s arrival, many people maybe skeptical about Milan’s plan as their team doesn’t seem to change a lot for a long time now. However with lots of players running out of contract next year and the amount of talented youngsters bought, I smell there’s something being work out by the club’s management and this season might finally be the start many fans have been waiting.

photo credit: VanDammeMaarten.be

As is rather obvious, no week or day for that matter is over without news on one of Serie A’s greatest imports Ronaldinho. The Brazilian play maker is the major transfer talk of the Italian league and the game in general for what are clear reasons.

Yet again, the rumours continue with many claiming that Dinho’s silence equals his displeasure with the Rossoneri. All this news can be very confusing especially to his fans. That’s why i have resorted to ignoring all the reports and breaking news about Dinho’s future-all except from very reliable sources.

The last i heard, was that Roberto De Assis (Dinho’s brother and agent) was to meet with AC Milan officials in a bid to iron out a new deal for the 30 year old star. Ever since, details about this new deal have been scarce and few between.

Until Roberto speaks again, we should believe and have faith that all is well and that Dinho will still be a member of the Rossoneri next season. Andrea D’Amico, well knowledgeable football expert and agent for Gennaro Gattuso, Ignazio Abate and Luca Antonini shared some of is thoughts on Dinho’s impending transfer.

“It’s difficult to say, it certainly depends on the proposal that will arrive,” he explained to TMW.

“Right now, the Los Angeles Galaxy seem the most valid option to me.”

That might be true but to quote Roberto De Assis, “Ronaldinho has not once mentioned his desire to leave.”

Its only fair that Milan should honour their end of the deal  and keep Dihno until his contract runs out in June 2011. Only then will they a legal and moral mandate to do whatever they desire.

Photo credit: from sithuseo