Ronaldinho is learning Italian

Like could have been expected, the transfer of Barcelona playmaker Ronaldinho (28) probably won't be resolved soon and seems on its way to become the transfer story of this summer.

The negotiations between Barcelona and AC Milan has apparently reached a dead point after a conference call last Saturday where there appeared to be a serious difference between offer and demand. Italian sports paper La Gazzetta dello Sport claims that Barcelona was asking 50 million euro° for both Ronaldinho and Barcelona full back Gianluca Zambrotta (31), while Milan would only be ready to pay 20 million euro° for the two players.

Milan president Silvio Berlusconi (on Italian radio station Radio Radio), Milan vice president Adrino Galliani and Milan adviser Ernesto Bronzetti (on Italian television channel RAI Sport) kept repeating all week long that Barcelona is asking far too much. Galliani even threatened to cancel the negotiations and to focus on other players if Barcelona would not accept Milan's conditions. Bronzetti said that Barcelona is initially always asking the double of their real target. Inter Milan president Massimo Moratti, who sent his son to Barcelona last week to hold talks with Barcelona representatives on Ronaldinho, also joined in and agreed with the Milan officials.

Barcelona is keeping a total silence on the negotiations, but on Wednesday Barcelona economic vice president Ferran Soriano hit out at the Milan negotiation tactics in an interview with Catalan radio station RAC 1: "This habit of always running to the press and negotiating through indirect statements is a style of last century. In the 21st century things can be done with more discretion. We certainly won't play that game."

Catalan sports paper Sport reported that Galliani nevertheless was in Barcelona on Wednesday and negotiated with Barcelona president Joan Laporta after the Champions League game against Manchester United. Italian sports paper Il Corriere dello Sport claims that Milan has changed its attitude and would now be willing to accept a fixed transfer price plus important variables based on matches played and goals scored by Ronaldinho and trophies won by Milan.

Meanwhile, Italian newspaper La Repubblica claims that Ronaldinho is already learning Italian, with the help of Zambrotta and of his friend Mimmo, a Napoli restaurant keeper who acts as private cook to Ronaldinho and his family. There you have the one responsible for that belly...

pep's opinion:
With Ronaldinho at this moment in my opinion worth somewhere between 25 and 30 million euro, and Zambrotta between 7 and 9 million euro, I consider 35 million euro for the two a correct price. With of course, in the case of Ronaldinho, important variables so Barcelona also gains if Ronaldinho would get back on his top level.

Read more:
Ronaldinho agrees terms with Milan
Ronnie's week: Barcelona-Milan
Ronaldinho to Milan: principal agreement