Ribery angling for Real Madrid deal – media

January 22, 2010

Bayern Munich’s French star Franck Ribery is angling for a new deal that would allow him to join Real Madrid if the Spaniards put 40 million euros on the table, AS daily reported.

Ribery “would only renew his (Bayern) contract with a 40 million pro-Real clause” included, according to AS, which added that otherwise “Ribery will not sign”.

The paper, citing “sources very close to the player,” said that talks were under way between the two clubs regarding an eventual move and that the sum “would be around 40 million euros”.

That would be less than the purported 55 million figure bandied around last summer for the former Marseille man, whose contract expires next year.

Ribery has endured a difficult time recently with injuries having kept him sidelined since early October and Bayern coach Louis van Gaal indicated earlier on Friday that he would not start Saturday’s match against Werder Bremen but might be brought on from the bench.

Owing to a serious knee problem Ribery, 26, has only made six league appearances this season. He was due to return in December but a foot injury suffered in training prevented him from doing so.

Then in a winter training camp in Dubai he suffered from inflamed toenails that meant he could not even put his boots on.

AS, meanwhile, added that Real were hoping to snap up Roma midfielder Daniele de Rossi, reporting that the Italians were ready to sell for financial reasons.

Real are also rumoured to want Racing Santander youngster Sergio Canales but Marca sports daily reported that Real were not prepared to get into an auction for the 18-year-old, who the paper said also interests Manchester City and Chelsea.

MADRID (AFP)

Tags: Bayern, bayern munich, Bremen, canales, CHELSEA, citing sources, de rossi, foot injury, franck ribery, french star, italians, knee problem, league appearances, louis van gaal, MADRID, manchester city, Marseille, midfielder, new deal, real madrid, Roma, santander, Sergio Canales, spaniards, werder bremen, winter training, youngster

Stalemate gives Milan slight advantage

November 26, 2009

AC Milan and Marseille drew 1-1 in the Champions League on Wednesday to give the Italians a slight edge in the race for the knock-out stages.

With Real Madrid winning 1-0 at home to FC Zurich, they now lead Milan by two points with the French team a further point behind in Group C.

Marseille must beat the Spaniards in France in two weeks to have any chance of progressing but if they do win, Milan will have to beat Zurich in Switzerland or it will be them who crash out.

Milan were left holding on for the point at the end as the visitors hit the woodwork but coach Leonardo said it was a fair result.

“Maybe Marseille had the clearer chances but we also had chances in the second half, it seems to me that a draw was fair,” he said.

“I’m optimistic (about qualification). Marseille had played on Friday and had five days of rest, we only had three.

“They had more energy and that played a role. We wanted to qualify today but we drew, now we have to go to Zurich and play with a lot of concentration.”

The draw meant Milan failed to win any of their three home matches in this competition.

“It’s strange, in the past San Siro has been a fortress but this year we’re struggling,” admitted striker Marco Borriello.

Marseille coach Didier Deschamps, who was a member of the Marseille side that beat Milan in the 1993 Champions League final, was not happy.

“It is not a very good result, because we needed to win,” said Deschamos, who guided Monaco to the 2004 Champions League final.

“Seeing what my team did here, there was every chance we should have won.

“However, the dream is still possible. We have a small chance.”

Milan went ahead on 10 minutes following dreadful defending from Marseille as Mamadou Niang gave the ball away on the halfway line, allowing Borriello to run at Gabriel Heinze and get past the former Manchester United and Real Madrid man with embarrassing ease before slipping the ball under Mandanda.

The lead lasted only six minutes, though, as more lax defending contributed to the restoration of parity.

Niang beat Massimo Oddo far too easily on the left and Alessandro Nesta came across to cover but seemed to pull out of the challenge, allowing Niang to hit a cross that goalkeeper Dida could only palm out to Lucho Gonzalez, who rifled home.

A couple of minutes later Lucho hit a left footer that had Dida sweating as he watched it fly just past the angle of post and bar.

There was more poor defending on 25 minutes as Thiago Silva’s long ball from his own half sent Borriello clear of the defence but Souleymane Diawara just managed to bend his leg around the striker and clip the ball as the Italian went to pull the trigger.

Niang was troubling Milan’s right and late in the half he got down the line but his cut-back was just behind strike-partner Brandao.

The second half was a calm affair until 65 minutes when Brazilian Brandao somehow contrived to miss an open goal.

Benoit Cheyrou slipped Niang in behind substitute Ignazio Abate and his cross picked out Brandao on the edge of the six yard box but with the goal gaping he somehow managed to direct the ball onto the bar.

Ronaldinho almost caught out Mandanda with a cross-cum-shot before Bakari Kone escaped up the other end on the break, but with Brandao unmarked at the back post, his poor control allowed Abate to clear the danger.

From the corner Diawara’s header agonisingly came back off the foot of the post.

MILAN, Italy (AFP)

Tags: ac milan, Alessandro Nesta, benoit cheyrou, Borriello, C. Marseille, champions league final, crash out, didier deschamps, dreadful, France, french team, gabriel heinze, Ignazio Abate, italians, Italy, knock out, leonardo, MADRID, madrid man, Manchester, manchester united, Marseille, Milan, Monaco, niang, real madrid, San, san siro, six minutes, spaniards, Switzerland, thiago silva, woodwork, ZURICH

Chelsea´s Ancelotti has eyes only for first place

October 22, 2009

Carlo Ancelotti warned his Chelsea stars that only first place will do after Salomon Kalou and Frank Lampard inspired a 4-0 Champions League rout of Atletico Madrid.

Ancelotti’s side moved within touching distance of a place in the last 16 thanks to their clinical display against the woeful Spaniards at Stamford Bridge on Wednesday.

But, more importantly for Ancelotti, the Blues are top of Group D at the halfway stage and he wants them to stay there as it guarantees a home second leg against one of the group runners-up in the first knockout round.

“We are in control of the group now. Our aim is to arrive in first place because it is important for the rest of the Champions League,” Ancelotti said.

“That is not certain yet and we need more points. It has not been easy without Didier Drogba but all the players have done well in this competition.”

Chelsea travel to Atletico and then Porto in their next two matches before finishing at home to Apoel Nicosia and two wins from those three games would guarantee top spot.

Ancelotti will have Drogba back as the Ivory Coast striker has now served his three-match European suspension.

But even without the powerful targetman, Chelsea were far too strong for Atletico.

Kalou made amends for a bad miss when he opened the scoring with a cool finish from Ashley Cole’s cross in the 41st minute.

He added a second soon after half-time with a header from a corner by Lampard, who notched the third himself with a fine low strike for his first goal from open play this season.

Luis Perea’s headed own goal in stoppage time completed a miserable experience for struggling Atletico.

Although Kalou has generally been consigned to the bench when Drogba and Anelka are fit, Ancelotti believes the erratic forward can play an important role in Chelsea’s push for honours.

“Kalou is an important player for us, especially when (Didier) Drogba is out,” he said.

“He started the game badly and made a big mistake but that gave him a good motivation to play well. For him it is very important to score. He played a good match.”

Ancelotti was also full of praise for Lampard, who ended a 10-game drought to score his 133rd Chelsea goal – taking him past Jimmy Greaves into fifth place in the club’s all-time scorers’ list.

“I am happy for him for sure. Lampard is not just important for goals, he is important because he is working for 90 minutes for the team,” Ancelotti added.

“He is a generous, unselfish player. If he scores it is better, but I want to speak about Lampard for his work.”

Ancelotti could also take heart from Chelsea’s improved defending at set-pieces after they conceded two goals from corners in Saturday’s defeat at Aston Villa.

The Blues are yet to concede a goal in Europe this season and Ancelotti said: “I think we defended better on the set-plays and we also scored two goals from them.

“It means we have good jumpers and possibilities to score from set-pieces. For us this is important.”

While Ancelotti can look forward to a sustained challenge in Europe, Atletico coach Abel Resino could be facing the sack after his side’s latest humiliation.

Atletico have just one point from three games and are also struggling in La Liga, but Resino has no intention of quitting.

“It’s not for me to say who is to blame. My job is to find solutions,” he said.

“The thing to do is keep calm, not panic and work hard to prepare for the next game.

“I am a fighter. I never give up. I am not going to throw the towel in. With one result the confidence will begin to change. There have not been many games when we haven’t created chances.”

LONDON (AFP)

Tags: Abel Resino, apoel nicosia, ashley cole, atletico madrid, bench, carlo ancelotti, champions league, CHELSEA, Cole, Drogba, Europe, frank lampard, Ivory Coast, Jimmy Greaves, knockout, london, Luis Perea, MADRID, miserable experience, Nicosia, rout, runners, Salomon Kalou, spaniards, stamford bridge, stoppage time, striker, three games

Italians only know how to criticise, says Mourinho

September 19, 2009

Inter Milan coach Jose Mourinho hit out on Saturday claiming Italians prefer to criticise rather than look for solutions.

Speaking at Saturday’s pre-match press conference ahead of the trip to Cagliari in Sardinia on Sunday, Mourinho launched an attack on his adopted home.

“When I see the Italian press criticising their own teams playing in European competition it’s easy to see that we are a country that knows only how to criticise and not how to find solutions,” he said.

“We’re a country that loves crying floods of tears over problems and doesn’t do anything to solve them.

“When we play against another country we can see they have the opposite approach.

“When it comes to playing in Europe everyone pushes in the same direction. Here it’s the opposite.

“We’re always negative and never positive; Portuguese and Italians are twins in that respect,” added Mourinho.

Mourinho also hit out at those in the press who criticised his team for their performance in the 0-0 draw at home to title-holders Barcelona in the Champions League on Wednesday, such as former coach Alberto Zaccheroni.

“Luckily I’m someone who either gets mad or laughs about what these greats write in the press, like the person who lost 5-1 at home to Arsenal (Zaccheroni in the 2003/04 season),” said the former Chelsea coach.

“In these situations I prefer to laugh and to keep on doing what I’m doing and to remember that our last three Champions League matches were against the last two European champions (Barca and Manchester United).

“To conclude the debate about the Champions League I can advise you all to look at the statistics regarding (goalkeepers) Julio Cesar (of Inter), (Juventus’s Gianluigi) Buffon, (AC Milan’s Marco) Storari and (Fiorentina’s Sebastien) Frey to understand that tomorrow Julio won’t be able to play because he’s really tired from watching the (Barca) game,” Mourinho added ironically.

Inter were criticised for being second best to Barcelona on their own pitch, although despite the Spaniards dominating possession they created little more than Inter and Julio Cesar made only one significant save in the game, tipping over a shot from outside the box from Lionel Messi.

Mourinho could restore Serbian Dejan Stankovic to the starting line-up for the trip to Cagliari while Argentine midfielder Esteban Cambiasso is also pushing for a recall after injury.

ROME (AFP)

Tags: ac milan, Alberto Zaccheroni, Argentine, barca, Barcelona, cagliari, CHELSEA, Esteban Cambiasso, Europe, european champions, fiorentina, floods of tears, former coach, gianluigi buffon, goalkeepers, inter milan, italian press, italians, jose mourinho, julio cesar, juventus, lionel messi, Manchester, manchester united, Marco, Marco Storari, Milan, ROME, Sardinia, sebastien, sebastien frey, spaniards

Inter hold Barcelona in drab stalemate

September 17, 2009

Inter Milan held title-holders Barcelona to a 0-0 draw in their Champions League Group F opener at the San Siro on Wednesday in a match which failed to live up to pre-match hype.

The game was billed as a clash between Samuel Eto’o and Zlatan Ibrahimovic, both playing against the team they left only two months ago, but neither they nor talents such as Lionel Messi and Xavi could break the deadlock in a turgid stalemate.

Perhaps unsurprisingly for such a big match between two European heavyweights so early in the competition it was a cagey affair dominated by defences.

But that suited Inter boss Jose Mourinho.

“It’s the beginning of the competition, it’s the first match. It’s not an easy group, it’s no joke,” he said. “There are other groups that seem like a joke and one without a single national champion, in ours there are four champions.

“It’s a good point against the European champions who at the moment play the best football in Europe.

“I’m happy with the way we played, with the concentration. Defensively the game went well.”

Barcelona coach Pep Guardiola said his team needed to create more to win the game but did not point the finger of blame at Ibrahimovic, who had a largely quiet game.

“Maybe we didn’t have many chances but it’s never easy to play against Italian teams. There’s nothing more to it, we just didn’t have many chances,” he said.

“Ibrahimovic did well, he had a good chance in the first half. Less so in the second but it’s never easy and he kept trying so I’m happy with him.”

Barcelona were quickly into their running, passing the ball around confidently.

Messi needed only two minutes to work some space on the edge of the box but his shot was too close to Julio Cesar in the Inter goal.

The Spaniards were dictating play and Brazilian international Dani Alves released former Inter striker Ibrahimovic on eight minutes with a simple diagonal crossfield ball.

It was the chance the big Sweden forward must have been dreaming of in the build up to the game as he sought to silence the critics who jeered him on his return to the club he walked out on in the summer.

His first touch to control the ball on his chest was exquisite but the grandstand finish he craved did not materialise as he sliced his right-foot volley high and wide.

Alves was finding acres of space down the right as Sulley Muntari failed time and again to track him and the Brazilian picked out Messi with a cross but the little Argentine wizard’s header lacked power.

It was almost the half hour mark when Inter managed to gain a foothold in the game and a long ball released Diego Milito who turned inside Gerard Pique but shot too close to Victor Valdes.

Moments later Eto’o teed up Wesley Sneijder but the former Real Madrid midfielder couldn’t keep his shot down.

Barcelona should have gone in front on 41 minutes as an inch perfect Xavi chip over the defence picked out Alves, but his first touch took him backwards and he opted to play the ball back to Kader Keita rather than shoot, with the Malian midfielder screwing his effort well wide.

In the last minute of the half Messi cut in off the right wing in typical fashion but Cesar was equal to his shot.

Inter started the second half well with Sneijder firing just wide on 47 minutes but Barcelona quickly re-asserted control without creating more than a half chance.

Inter were still lively on the counter-attack and Eto’o released Milito on 66 minutes but the Argentine hesitated before setting up substitute Dejan Stankovic whose shot dipped just over.

Barcelona finally created a gilt-edged opportunity when Thierry Henry’s scuffed shot on 73 minutes squeaked through to the edge of the six-yard box where both Messi and Alves ran onto it.

But the Argentine, over-stretching, nicked the ball off the better-placed Brazilian’s foot and cleared the cross-bar.

MILAN, Italy (AFP)

Tags: best football, champions league group, deadlock, defences, european champions, good chance, heavyweights, inter milan, julio cesar, lionel messi, pep, quiet game, samuel eto o, san siro, spaniards, stalemate, xavi, zlatan ibrahimovic

Live blogging the Champions League

September 16, 2009

The Champions League is back and our reporters are currently wringing out their wet things (Mitch Phillips at Chelsea)/basking in the evening sunshine by the River Manzanares (Iain Rogers at Atletico) and undergoing all climactic variations in between.

Tonight’s first tranche of eight matches includes a repeat of the very first Champions League final, with AC Milan visiting Marseille, plus the European debut of Cristiano Ronaldo and Kaka for Real Madrid, with the Spaniards visiting Zurich.

We also have Manchester United at Besiktas, Wolfsburg hosting CSKA, Atletico at home to APOEL, Bayern Munich visiting Maccabi Haifa and Juventus against Bordeaux.

We’ll have every goal as they go in here, plus a few bits of commentary from me, and our reporters if the comms hold up, along the way.

I really appreciate comments, so please give your views in the comment section below. And can you name the player in the photo…?

- – - -

FC Zurich 2 Real Madrid 5: Cristiano Ronaldo responded to some less than flattering chants among the home fans by scoring from a free kick from the edge of the area. 1-0 in the 27th minute and Real Madrid are on their way to, well, Madrid. Seven minutes later and it’s 2-0 Real. This time Raul, who tapped in Gonzalo Higuain’s shot and is closing in on that record for goals in the European Cup. Let me have a rifle through the stats book… But in the mean time, Higuain has bagged the third himself. Too easy for Real… or is it?

The crowd livens up again with a 64th minute penalty from Xavier Margairaz and a minute later Silvan Aegerter makes it 2-3. Game on? Well, it got nervy for Real bu another free kick from Ronaldo sealed matters, with Guti’s effort in the 95th minute the cake icing.

Marseille 1 Milan 2: First goal of the 2009-10 edition of the Champions League goes to Milan, and Filippo Inzaghi. A superb cross from Seedorf for Inzaghi, left unmarked at far post, and he taps in from close range. 1-0 to the Italians in the 27th minute. Marseille level four minutes after the restart through the former Manchester United and Real Madrid defender Gabriel Heinze, who heads home a Benoit Cheyrou free kick. 2-1 to Milan with another Inzaghi goal with 16 minutes left on the clock.

Wolfsburg 3 CSKA 1: Wolfsburg have taken to the Champions League like a duck to water. The Brazilian Grafite, a much underrated player I remember well from my time in Germany, scored the first two goals, the first after 35 minutes, the second a penalty five minutes later. Alan Dzagoev pulls one back with 13 minutes to go. But Grafite completes his hat-trick three minutes from time and surely this is over now!

Chelsea 1 Porto 0: Don’t know what happened to my earlier udpate. Chelsea are ahead in the second half after Nicoals Anelka saw his first effort stopepd and then managed to fire on from a tricky angle.

Juventus 1 Bordeaux 1: Vincenzo Iaquinta puts Juventus up in the 63rd minute but Jaroslav Plasil evens things up with 15 minutes to go.

Maccabi Haifa 0 Bayern Munich 3: It’s raining goals now. The Germans are away thanks to a goal from Daniel van Buyten. Most of these matches going to form now and Bayern duly wrap up the win with two late goals from Thomas Mueller. Not a bad week for Mueller, who also scored two as Bayern beat Dortmund 5-1 in the Bundesliga on Saturday.

Besiktas 0 Manchester United 1. United are finally awake. It was a powerful shot by Nani that led to the goal in the 77th minute. The keeper parried it and Paul Scholes nodded in off the post, from a reasonable way out. Good header that.

The only match to finish goalless is Atletico Madrid v APOEL.

PHOTO: A mystery Chelsea player at training in Cobham, south of London, September 14, 2009. REUTERS/Eddie Keogh

Source

Tags: ac milan, bayern munich, close range, comms, cristiano ronaldo, european debut, gonzalo higuain, home fans, kaka, manzanares, mitch phillips, real madrid, seedorf, spaniards, xavier margairaz

Ronaldo, Kaka eye new golden Real Euro era

September 15, 2009

Cristiano Ronaldo and Kaka, who cost Real Madrid over 150 million euros, aim to lead the Spanish giants to a 10th European title this season, with their campaign starting in the humble surroundings of FC Zurich on Tuesday.

Ronaldo, the world’s most expensive player, insists the historic winning mentality at the club will be key to driving them to a place in the Champions League final which will be staged at their Santiago Bernabeu home in May next year.

“This is a club used to winning, a lot of the players here are winners, but now it’s about a new team and a new squad,” said Ronaldo, keen to dismiss comparisons with the Galactico era.

“That’s why we have to create the right mentality for us to win the league, the Champions League and the cups. This is a club obsessed with winning and now the players here have to think the same way.”

Real’s last Champions League triumph came in 2002 and with bitter rivals Barcelona taking the title last season, the club’s ambition has been sharpened further.

Last season Real Madrid were beaten 5-0 on aggregate by Liverpool in the first knockout round. It was the fifth successive season they had lost out in the last 16.

“The ambition is to win the Champions League,” said Kaka.

“On top of that, you have the possibility of us being at home (in the final) and it would be fantastic to play the final at the Bernabeu.”

Real and FC Zurich have met once before in the competition but that was 45 years ago with the Spaniards winning 8-1 over two legs in the semi-final before losing to Inter Milan 3-1 in the final.

Defender Raul Albiol is a doubt for Real having twisted his ankle against Espanyol at the weekend while Pepe could make his first appearance this season.

The Portuguese centre-back is suspended for two more games in the Spanish league – as part of a 10-match ban imposed last season for violent conduct – but is eligible to play in Europe.

Zurich reached this stage with a play-off defeat of FK Ventspils with Johan Vonlanthen, Silvan Aegerter and Dusan Djuric securing a 3-0 win in Latvia before second-leg strikes from Vonlanthen and Almen Abdi completed a 5-1 aggregate victory.

ZURICH (AFP)

Tags: 45 years, Barcelona, bitter rivals, champions league final, competition, cristiano ronaldo, Espanyol, Europe, fc zurich, first appearance, fk ventspils, humble surroundings, johan vonlanthen, kaka, Latvia, Liverpool, MADRID, Milan, raul albiol, real madrid, ronaldo, Santiago, santiago bernabeu, silvan, spaniards, spanish league, two legs, violent conduct, ZURICH

No gift for Dortmund as Real hand out 5-0 hammering

August 20, 2009

Spanish giants Real Madrid beat Bundesliga side Borussia Dortmund 5-0 here on Wednesday in a friendly as part of the German club’s 100th anniversary celebrations.

There may have been a carnival atmosphere amongst the 75,000 spectators, but Real were clearly in no mood to hand out gifts as they tore the home side apart in the second half.

Esteban Granero opened the scoring for the Spaniards after just three minutes and only three minutes after the break Dutch star Arjen Robben slotted home the second.

Gonzalo Higuain netted the third in the 73rd minute before Brazil’s Kaka slotted home a 76th minute penalty with Raul adding the fifth with just a minute left.

Former Manchester United midfielder Cristiano Ronaldo played his part for his new club, but was widely booed by the German fans whenever he got the ball.

Despite the home side being outclassed, Real Madrid’s Germany defender Christoph Metzelder, who joined the Spanish giants from Dortmund in 2007, praised his old club.

“We won today because of the individual class of our players, Dortmund are a totally different type of club,” he said.

“I hope the club will get back to winning ways in the Bundesliga this weekend.”

DORTMUND, Germany (AFP)

Tags: 100th anniversary, anniversary celebrations, brazil, carnival atmosphere, christoph metzelder, cristiano ronaldo, dutch star, Esteban Granero, german club, german fans, Germany, giants, Gonzalo, MADRID, Manchester, manchester united, midfielder, raul, real madrid, ronaldo, spaniards, spectators, winning ways

Mourinho fires parting shot at Ibrahimovic

July 25, 2009

Jose Mourinho has fired a parting shot at Sweden striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic, claiming he was never loved by the Inter Milan fans.

Ibrahimovic is due to wrap up a switch to Barcelona when he agrees personal terms with the Spaniards, with Cameroon forward Samuel Eto’o heading in the opposite direction.

But Mourinho clearly feels let down by the big Swede and told Saturday’s Gazzetta dello Sport that the club’s fans would have more affection for Eto’o.

“I thought he would stay because only Real Madrid — and they weren’t interested in him — could spend such crazy money, but then Barcelona did too,” said Mourinho of the deal which will see the Italians also net Belarus winger Alexander Hleb on loan and 50 million euros.

“If, as his agent said, this deal has been in the pipeline for a year, then there’s something strange going on.

“If it was a recent thing, that’s ok. He gave everything he could for me and for Inter, always.

“Even though he was never loved by the fans, who aren’t crying over his sale and are ready to love Eto’o.

“Inter had two possibilities, tell Ibrahimovic: ‘we’re not selling you’, or take Eto’o, plus Hleb on loan for a year for free, plus 50 million euros.

“To me that seems like an incredible deal, a deal worth 100 million euros, the deal of the summer.

“Kaka 70, Cristiano Ronaldo 96. For me this is worth 100 million because Eto’o is worth not even one euro less than Ibra.”

Mourinho also explained why the deal for Chelsea pair Ricardo Carvalho and Deco fell through.

“We were supposed to exchange Carvalho for one of our defenders and to have Deco for free, then Chelsea asked for 15 plus five million euros.

“From zero to 20 million, that’s a bit too much and I’m not blaming my club.”

Instead of Carvalho, Inter signed Brazil centre-back Lucio from Bayern Munich.

“He wasn’t second choice but a great surprise,” admitted Mourinho. “He doesn’t have great feet but he defends well, he’s quick and he’s knows how to push the team up the pitch. He doesn’t talk much but he knows how to get himself heard.”

ROME (AFP)

Tags: 50 million, alexander hleb, Barcelona, Bayern, bayern munich, belarus, brazil, cameroon, CHELSEA, crazy money, cristiano ronaldo, great feet, inter milan, italians, Jose, jose mourinho, MADRID, Milan, milan fans, parting shot, personal terms, real madrid, ricardo carvalho, ronaldo, Samuel, samuel eto o, second choice, spaniards, swede, Sweden, winger, Zlatan, zlatan ibrahimovic

Ibrahimovic edges closer to Barca move

July 17, 2009

Forward Zlatan Ibrahimovic looks to be headed to Barcelona after Inter Milan president Massimo Moratti admitted he was in talks with the Spaniards about the Swede.

Cameroon forward Samuel Eto’o could be heading in the opposite direction while Brazil full-back Maxwell and Belarus winger Alexander Hleb could also switch between the two.

“We’ve finalised a transfer for Maxwell and now we’re trying to do likewise for Hleb,” Moratti told Sky Sport 24.

“Obviously we spoke about other things because they were interested in knowing something about Ibrahimovic and talking about Eto’o — two players of the same level — to see if it would be possible to do something with these two players.”

Moratti also confirmed reports in both the Spanish and Italian press that the swap would include hefty compensation for the Italians.

“Eto’o is not worth as much as Ibrahimovic but there is a big offer there,” he added.

Spanish dailies AS and Marca, as well as Italian newspaper Gazzetta dello Sport, said the deal would be worth 40 million euros (56.5 million dollars) to Inter.

Spanish radio station Cadena SER added that the transfer could be nailed down in the coming 72 hours following talks on Thursday in Milan between Barca president Joan Laporta and Moratti.

Laporta told Spanish media late on Friday that he had reached an “agreement in principle” with Inter to sign Ibrahimovic and send Eto’o to the Italian side.

The deal depends on Barcelona reaching an agreement with Ibrahimovic and Inter reaching a deal with Eto’o over the terms of their contract, he added.

Laporta said any deal to loan Hleb to Barcelona would not be related to this deal. Barcelona is still interested in signing David Villa from Spanish side Valencia even if it succeeds in signing Ibrahimovic, he added.

Ibrahimovic, who has been with Inter since 2004, is considered one of the best strikers in European football but has hinted on several occasions that he was ready for a move to Spain from Italy while Barca have long made it clear they want to be shot of Eto’o.

Maxwell, meanwhile, fell out of favour with Inter boss Jose Mourinho last season and was replaced in the starting line-up by teenager Davide Santon.

That led to the Brazilian publically stating he wanted to leave, while Hleb failed to make an impact in Catalonia following a transfer from Arsenal a year ago.

ROME (AFP)