Manchester City's incredible attempt to lure Kaka to Eastlands is under way after AC Milan acknowledged they were considering a $215 million bid for the Brazilian.
A statement read out on Milan's official TV channel said the bid had neither been accepted or rejected, but was "being considered."
Given the private soundings they have received over the past few weeks, City insiders believe Milan will not turn such a staggering world-record fee down.
What was once the undisputed European powerhouse, Italian football is going through turbulent times and Serie A is now a clear number three in the pecking order behind the Premier League and La Liga.
And Milan have slipped within that fading competition.
Champions League winners for the eighth time in 2007, with Kaka in the team, the Rossoneri did not even qualify for this season's competition.
Reduced to bringing in ageing stars such as Ronaldinho and, on a short-term loan, David Beckham to bolster their ranks, Milan realise City's bid - which is said to last only until the end of this month's transfer window - represents a heaven-sent opportunity to restore Milan to former glories.
Blues' owner Sheikh Mansour was always confident Milan would be unable to resist. His main problem is persuading Kaka of the boldness of his plan.
The next few days are likely to be taken up with assessing the former world player of the year's various sponsorship agreements and discovering how easily these can be transferred to England from Italy.
Various meetings will then take place involving Kaka and his advisers - including his father who has played such a key role in guiding the 26-year-old's career - AC Milan and City officials, the outcome of which will determine whether the most amazing transfer in living memory actually goes through.
"I have no idea whether he will end up here," admitted City boss Mark Hughes. "It is dependent on too many factors.
"However, people should not think this is just being done on a whim.
"(Executive chairman) Garry Cook, (chairman) Khaldoon al-Mubarak and I have discussed this for numerous months and Kaka was in our thoughts right from the outset.
"It is not something we have only thought of in the last week and decided to act and it would be naive of people to think I have not been involved in the process.
"It has moved forward at a pace this week. It is a football decision that has been done with a structure and an understanding that we can move it forward."
However, he denied City were adopting a twin approach to their transfer policy, setting money aside for superstars such as Kaka, who could earn an eye-bulging £500,000-a-week, while clawing back funds on less stratospheric deals.
"We are one team and one club," he said. "We are all working to the same end, trying to be successful on a regular basis.
"You do that by bringing good players to the club to supplement those we already have.
"It is not something that will happen overnight and we have to let people understand what we are trying to do and understand where this club will go in the next few years.
"Once they understand that and recognise the people driving it forward they will become excited by what we can offer."
The journey to the top of the game may be long, but Kaka's arrival, supplemented by a strong defensive backbone, would not leave the Blues owners that far from their target.
It is something Sheikh Mansour recognises, which is why he is pulling out all the stops to get the transfer done.
However, clubs such as Blackburn and West Ham will find out City do not intend to be so generous with bids for other targets.
Hughes admits to a degree of impatience over the lack of new faces to accompany £10million defender Wayne Bridge and, if rumours of a furious tirade immediately after City's FA Cup exit to Nottingham Forest are to be believed, the Welshman has made his feelings on the limitations of his present squad quite clear to Cook and Khaldoon.
But City do not intend being held to ransom over the likes of Craig Bellamy and Roque Santa Cruz.
"Maybe Manchester City will always be asked for a premium from this point onwards," said Hughes.
"But we place a price on players and we stick to them. If clubs ask for too great a premium that is their choice.
"I guarantee if the value is not good for Manchester City, we will walk away."
Given the private soundings they have received over the past few weeks, City insiders believe Milan will not turn such a staggering world-record fee down.
What was once the undisputed European powerhouse, Italian football is going through turbulent times and Serie A is now a clear number three in the pecking order behind the Premier League and La Liga.
And Milan have slipped within that fading competition.
Champions League winners for the eighth time in 2007, with Kaka in the team, the Rossoneri did not even qualify for this season's competition.
Reduced to bringing in ageing stars such as Ronaldinho and, on a short-term loan, David Beckham to bolster their ranks, Milan realise City's bid - which is said to last only until the end of this month's transfer window - represents a heaven-sent opportunity to restore Milan to former glories.
Blues' owner Sheikh Mansour was always confident Milan would be unable to resist. His main problem is persuading Kaka of the boldness of his plan.
The next few days are likely to be taken up with assessing the former world player of the year's various sponsorship agreements and discovering how easily these can be transferred to England from Italy.
Various meetings will then take place involving Kaka and his advisers - including his father who has played such a key role in guiding the 26-year-old's career - AC Milan and City officials, the outcome of which will determine whether the most amazing transfer in living memory actually goes through.
"I have no idea whether he will end up here," admitted City boss Mark Hughes. "It is dependent on too many factors.
"However, people should not think this is just being done on a whim.
"(Executive chairman) Garry Cook, (chairman) Khaldoon al-Mubarak and I have discussed this for numerous months and Kaka was in our thoughts right from the outset.
"It is not something we have only thought of in the last week and decided to act and it would be naive of people to think I have not been involved in the process.
"It has moved forward at a pace this week. It is a football decision that has been done with a structure and an understanding that we can move it forward."
However, he denied City were adopting a twin approach to their transfer policy, setting money aside for superstars such as Kaka, who could earn an eye-bulging £500,000-a-week, while clawing back funds on less stratospheric deals.
"We are one team and one club," he said. "We are all working to the same end, trying to be successful on a regular basis.
"You do that by bringing good players to the club to supplement those we already have.
"It is not something that will happen overnight and we have to let people understand what we are trying to do and understand where this club will go in the next few years.
"Once they understand that and recognise the people driving it forward they will become excited by what we can offer."
The journey to the top of the game may be long, but Kaka's arrival, supplemented by a strong defensive backbone, would not leave the Blues owners that far from their target.
It is something Sheikh Mansour recognises, which is why he is pulling out all the stops to get the transfer done.
However, clubs such as Blackburn and West Ham will find out City do not intend to be so generous with bids for other targets.
Hughes admits to a degree of impatience over the lack of new faces to accompany £10million defender Wayne Bridge and, if rumours of a furious tirade immediately after City's FA Cup exit to Nottingham Forest are to be believed, the Welshman has made his feelings on the limitations of his present squad quite clear to Cook and Khaldoon.
But City do not intend being held to ransom over the likes of Craig Bellamy and Roque Santa Cruz.
"Maybe Manchester City will always be asked for a premium from this point onwards," said Hughes.
"But we place a price on players and we stick to them. If clubs ask for too great a premium that is their choice.
"I guarantee if the value is not good for Manchester City, we will walk away."
Copyright (c) Press Association
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