Milan Dump One Striker; Continue to Wait on Another

By: Martha | July 14th, 2007

RAWR With a single sentence on their official website this morning, Milan announced the loan of Ricardo Oliveira to Real Zaragoza; the Spanish club also have the option of buying him at the end of the season, should he stop sucking. I imagine the conclusion of this deal has lead to wild parties in both the Milan offices (There the banner says “Yay, the waste of space is gone!”) and the Oliveira home (Their banner says “I <3 SPAIN!”), because the past season has been a terrible disappointment for everyone involved. The striker arrived in Milan on the heels of a fantastic spell with Real Betis (I’m ignoring that short loan back to Brazil), so one hopes — for both his sake and that of Milan’s finances — he’ll rediscover his form by returning to Spain and will earn Milan back some of the giant fee they cost him a year ago.

In England, meanwhile, the tabloids are once again full of Sheva stories: They all have decided that the striker is having showdown talks with Chelsea own Roman Abramovic next week, in which his future will be determined. According to the ever-reliable Mirror, Abramovic would like Sheva to stay but, if the Ukrainian really is desperate to escape from London, the owner will let him go for a fee thought to be around £15 million. If true, that price would be a massive financial hit — Sheva cost Chelsea twice that last summer — but getting Sheva’s £130,000/week salary off the books would certain be pleasing to Chelsea’s money men. That’s something.

Needless to say, the Sheva stories are free of quotes from anyone who would be involved in the actual negotiating process, and I’d imagine his next solomn pledge to stay in London will be coming in just matter of hours.

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Category: AC Milan, Rumors & News, Serie A

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chris g

And for what it's worth, I can explicitly remember seeing an article on CNNSI saying Ronaldinho was celebrating his new Spanish citizenship. I have a fairly good memory, so maybe they just jumped the gun.

Or maybe Barca are trying to keep it under wraps for a reason? Not letting on they have an extra non-EU spot. I don't see what the advantage would be but who knows.
Linda

Oooh, good to know at least the applications have been put in. Neither have had theirs approved yet - it is a notoriously slow process, and I'd bet on Dos Santos getting his earlier because he moved to Spain at such a young age.
chris g

I'm not willing to fight you on anything Barca, Linda, but both are at least pending.

http://www.foxsports.com.au/st...

Dinho was supposed to get it earlier this year and it looks like he's applied a long time ago. It seems like the application was quiet so maybe the results have been as well? Eto'o has said he has applied personally, and at the request of Barca (also a long time ago). I just don't know how long the process in Spain takes. Italy's takes forever, but that's how they operate for everything. Although maybe Barca officials are greasing up customs officials to delay the decisions. Which would officially make them Italian.
Linda

Neither Ronnie or Eto'o have their EU passports, even through they've both been playing in Europe for at least 5 years. I'm beginning to suspect that the club discourages them from it to make any possible transfer difficult - we do it already for youth system products like Dos Santos.
chris g

Ronaldinho is for sure. And this website takes eons to update, it was awhile ago.

http://www.footballdatabase.co...

Eto'o may be pending, but would it really be pending since '05? I'm very sure he has one, it's hard to find though.. Gazzetta is wrong often, this is one case.

Doesn't matter, Milan won't be getting either.
Francesco

Gazzetta reported that Ronaldinho and Eto'o are eligible for EU passports, but that they wouldn't be ready before the end of the transfer window and maybe not even by January.

Pato arriving I think is a concrete possibility. 1) Berlusconi loves Brazilians, that's no secret. 2) ex-Milan player Leonardo has been scouting Pato all year and talking with Pato. 3) Pato wants to come to Italy.
The only problem is the price, which is astronomical for a 17 year old. And for Ancelotti to actually go to Canada and watch him in person is a big thing as well.
chris g

5.

He was eligible in 2005 and he said he'd get one as soon as he was eligible.
Martha

Eto'o does? Really? He's been in Spain for what, nine years? How long before you can apply?
Martha

(And Rose, I'm assuming that when you said "really hot" about the new training kits you meant "hideously, impossibly ugly"?)
chris g

Ronaldinho has a Spanish passport and I'm pretty sure Eto'o does as well. Pato doesn't mean anything.
Martha

Absolutely true; do you think the odds are they'll get him, though? I saw the Gazzetta front page and I've read all the rumors -- work permits for his family, etc -- it's just that the Italian press aren't exactly known for their restraint when it comes to rumor reporting. Have you heard anything concrete that makes you think he'll end up with Milan? What a fantastic coup that would be!
Francesco

If Milan sign Pato, they have to forget about Eto'o and Ronaldinho because Pato would then occupy that 1 non-EU spot, unless they loan him out in January when he arrives.
Martha

I assume this one is false, too, I'm reported what it says in the papers, not that it's fact. That said, it wouldn't surprise me if they were at least considering a giant, moronic bid on Eto'o. Not even a little.
Francesco

All these Sheva rumors are not true. He's not coming back. It's just all made up stories by the papers. Same with Ronaldinho, Barcelona won't sell.

It looks like the only viable option for Milan is Cassano at the moment.
Martha

Sigh. I was looking through those this morning and fell into a deep, Corini depression -- it's absolutely killing me to see them training without him. Freaking Zamparini.
rose

psst, martha.
amauri's back in training.
and the new training kits are really hot.
http://www.ilpalermocalcio.it/...