Source: Daily_Mail
Chelsea deny £73.5m bid for Kaka as Real look set to land Brazil star
Chelsea have dismissed reports that they have tabled a world transfer record offer of £73.5m for AC Milan's Brazilian superstar Kaka as 'totally untrue'.
Kaka has been strongly linked with a move to Real Madrid following Florentino Perez's return as president.
Chelsea's boss-to-be Ancelotti wants Kaka to join him at Stamford Bridge Chelsea, who have just appointed former AC Milan boss Carlo Ancelotti as their new manager, insisted they have not tabled any offer for Kaka.
A statement on the club's official website read: 'We have never made an offer to AC Milan for Kaka and therefore not one at this extraordinary level. As a consequence we have not discussed a salary with the player either.
'Any reports to the contrary are totally untrue.'
A potential move to Manchester City collapsed in January and Kaka has repeatedly insisted that he wants to stay at the San Siro.
Last night AC Milan denied general manager Adriano Galliani was negotiating his sale to Real Madrid for a quoted fee of £56million and Kaka told Gazzetta dello Sport: 'I'll say it for the last time. The last time. I don't want to leave Milan.
'In this period I prefer to remain silent because I don't want to be misunderstood. Or, worse still, to be used.
'To the millions of Milan supporters, I say that I have made my choice. I have said what I want to stay. Leave me in peace, please.'
Reports in Spain earlier claimed Madrid were confident of completing a deal approaching £60m.
Spanish newspaper AS also claims Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich would be keen on the transfer coup because he is still hurting by the way Madrid sold Robinho to Manchester City rather than his side on transfer deadline day last summer.
But a close relationship between Madrid's returning president Florentino Perez and Milan general manager Adriano Galliani keeps the Spaniards in the driving seat.
It is understood that a deal was virtually done last night before a stumbling block emerged over the level of commission that Bosco Leite would receive in the deal.
There is a suggestion that Chelsea's interest was introduced byKaka's representatives as negotiations stalled, driving up the price from Madrid's opening offer of £52m.
The salary Kaka would receive on a five-year deal was pushed up to£157,000 a week.
Milan, for their part, admit that Galliani was in Madrid yesterday but insist it had nothing to do with negotiating a deal for Kaka, who has also previously interested Manchester United.
'The general manager of the Rossoneri, Adriano Galliani, is in the city of Madrid exclusively for the investiture dinner of Florentino Perez, the new president of Real Madrid,' a statement read.
However, the Italian club's president Silvio Berlusconi and Galliani have both softened up fans for their hero's departure, admitting it would be hard to refuse a bid that would clear their debts.
Kaka is in Teresopolis, near Rio de Janeiro, on international duty with Brazil and faces two World Cup qualifiers next week, making a quick resolution to the saga difficult.
He yesterday insisted he wanted to stay with the Rossoneri, but he harbours a dream of playing in the white of Madrid and would be in line for a perfect diplomatic exit if Milan publicly accept his bid.
The Bernabeu hierarchy are said to have such respect for Berlusconi that they will let the Italians dictate the announcement of the deal, which is expected to happen no later than next week by video conference from Brazil.
