AC NEXT?

The Italian club AC Milan have ruled out the possibility of signing the former Chelsea striker Didier Drogba, who has been linked with every major club in Europe. The Ivory Coast international is currently with the Chinese club Shanghai Shenhua, but it is thought that he is keen on making a move to European club at least on a season long loan deal. He has realised after just a few months of playing in the Chinese league that he still has the capability to perform for a top European club. As a result, he has been linked with the likes of Juventus and AC Milan, but there has also been talk of him returning to Chelsea as well.

Juventus recently said that they would be unable to afford the salary of the 34-year-old, who currently is on wages of around £ 250,000 per week. AC Milan have also ruled themselves out of the running due to the same constraint. After losing a number of top players in the summer transfer window, Milan are struggling to replicate their top form. Hence, it is extremely possible that they will not be able to get past the last 16 stage of the Champions League, while also not qualifying for the next season’s competitions as well.

“I can assure you that Balotelli will not arrive. Drogba? He is certainly a player we really like, but I think at that cost only the Arabian and Russian clubs can afford him. Who will arrive in January? I cannot say. Each time I talk about a player, the cost increases. Anyway there will be young players with perspectives for the future,” said the Milan President Silvio Berlusconi in a recent interview. Berlusconi has recently promised significant investment into Milan to make them competitive in domestic and European football once again.