Milan and Chelsea back in for Ronaldinho

After a few calm weeks, it seems that the transfer activity surrounding Barcelona playmaker and Brazilian international Ronaldinho (28) is restarting with AC Milan and Chelsea apparently on the verge of giving it another go.

Roberto de Assis (picture), Ronaldinho's brother and agent, said on Tuesday in an interview with Italian sports site Sportal that a transfer to Milan is still very possible: "We've always had an excellent relationship with Milan and we are constantly talking. The chances that Ronaldinho will wear the Milan shirt next year are the same as they were a few months ago. Nothing has changed.

We know that Milan likes Ronaldinho and that that Ronaldinho likes Milan, so we'll keep working to take the best player in the world to the greatest club in the world. A deal hasn't yet been clsed because there were some financial problems between the two clubs but there's still a lot of time to reach an agreement."

In the following days several Milan sources confirmed the interest. Milan vice president Adriano Galliani said in an interview with Italian newspaper La Gazzetta dello Sport that manager Ancelotti was preparing a team that that included Ronaldinho: "But we're not willing to pay 35 million euro°. The price needs to be reduced."

Milan transfer adviser Ernesto Bronzetti said on Italian radio station Radio Radio that he thinks the transfer will go through: "Milan have never given up on him and I am the main witness of that because I am in regular contact with Ronaldinho and his brother. I spoke to the player a few days ago and he told me that he only wants to play for Milan and he wanted me to transmit that to Galliani. My impression is that in the end he will join Carlo Ancelotti’s squad, unless some strange things happen."

And Milan manager Ancelotti declared in an interview with Italian sports paper La Gazzetta dello Sport that he is ready to adapt his way of playing to Ronaldinho: "We are currently looking for someone like Ronaldinho and we have discussed this with the club many times. If he arrives then we will have to change our tactics and deploy a 4-3-1-2 system. Or maybe we can adapt to our Christmas tree formation as this has worked well in the past."

With the appointment of former Portuguese and Brazilian national team Luiz Felipe Scolari as new Chelsea manager, Ronldinho has also again been linked with Chelsea.

British tabloid The Sun claims that Scolari has spoken by phone with Ronaldinho in the past few days and wants him to be part of the Chelsea squad next season.

Scolari arrived this weekend in London to start preparing the new season and was expected to tell Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich that he thinks he's able to get the best out of Ronaldinho and to urge the Russian billionaire to get the Brazilian to Chelsea. Barcelona would be asking 30 million euro° for Ronaldinho, while Scolari thinks that a transfer fee of 20 million euro° is more realistic.

Asked about the rumours linking him with Chelsea, Ronaldinho said last weekend in an interview with Brazilian television channel Rede Globo that the English Premier League is certainly an option he would consider: "Every football player would like to play in a competitive championship like the English league."

British tabloid The Daily Mirror meanwhile claimed this week that Ronaldinho has held talks with Barcelona manager Josep Guardiola and assured him that he is ready to change his life style and fight for his future at Barcelona.

Guardiola repeated at press conferences earlier this week that he's not planning next season thinking about Ronaldinho, Deco and Eto'o (read more here) but he didn't exclude the players to stay in the end: "If they will start the pre-season with us, they will train with the group and will be threated exactly like the other players. And if it won't be possible to sell them, I will do anything to get the best out of them."

Barcelona economic vice president Ferran Soriano left in an interview with Catalan radio station RAC 1 the option open that Ronaldinho would stay in the end: "We won't give him away just like that. If they don't offer us what we think is the right fee for player with the quality and the commercial value of Ronaldinho, we will not sell the player and he'll stay in Barcelona."

Read more:
New Milan offer for Ronaldinho
Ronaldinho agent met with Chelsea
Ronaldinho to Milan: principal agreement