Negotiations on Ronaldinho exit

Catalan sports paper El Mundo Deportivo claims that Israeli player's agent Pini Zahavi, a representative of both Chelsea and Manchester City, has met yesterday with Barcelona sports director Txiki Begiristain and Barcelona sports vice president Marc Ingla in the Princesa Sofía Intercontinental hotel in Barcelona.

Zahavi communicated to the Barcelona officials what Chelsea and Manchester City are offering for Barcelona playmaker Ronaldinho (28). Manchester City would be willing to put the most money on the table for the Brazilian, including a record-breaking salary of 20 million euro°. This should compensate for the lack of history and prestige the club can offer and for the fact that Ronaldinho would not be able to participate in next season's Champions League. Chelsea would not be willing to break the 'psychological' barrier of 10 million euro*. On the transfer fee, Catalan sports paper Sport claims that Manchester City would be prepared to pay Barcelona a fee of 25 million euro°°.

After his trip around Europe, Roberto de Assís, the brother and agent of Ronaldinho, arrived in Barcelona on Sunday and had a first contact with Barcelona about the situation and the possible exit of his brother, whose contract expires in 2010. Roberto is expected to meet with Barcelona officials in the coming days.

With Inter Milan apparently having given up on the player at this stage, AC Milan is still considered to be a main contestant. Italian sports paper Il Corriere dello Sport claims that Milan will offer Barcelona 25 million euro°° for Ronaldinho. The Brazilian would get a five-year contract worth 9 million euro** a year, with the player being able to hold and exploit his portrait rights himself.

Milan vice-president Adriano Galliani said yesterday in an interview with Italian television channel Sky Italia that talks on Ronaldinho are being held but that the club is trying to be very careful. Galliani does not think that the fact that Milan maybe will not qualify for next season's Chamions League will make it impossible to sign Ronaldinho since Barcelona didn't play Champions League either when Ronaldinho joined the club back in 2003.

In a football talk show on the Catalan television channel 8TV, it was yesterday mentioned that Barcelona president Joan Laporta would have said to his Getafe counterpart Angel Torres on Sunday that "Ronaldinho is preferring the Milan option".

(read everything on the Ronaldinho transfer story here)