Woke up today to some very bad news. AC Milan play maker Ronaldinho Gaucho could be leaving the San Siro after only two seasons. Apparently, Dinho has reached a verbal agreement with Brazilian club Flamengo and all that is left is for Milan to accent to the deal. This, of course is bad news to all Milan fans-myself included but great news for their rivals.
It is reported that Flamengo are ready to offer Ronaldinho monthly wages amounting to 300,000 Euros. Don’t let the figure fool you though. The 300,000 Euros is way short of the 615,000 Euros (after tax) that Dinho currently earns with Milan in a month. This excludes endorsements from Nike, Pepsi, Groupe Danone, Cadbury Scweppes, ASPIRE, Lenovo and several other Brazilian brands.
Even if Dinho were to take a 50 per cent pay cut, it would still be much more than what Flamengo are offering so clearly, money has nothing to do with Ronaldinho’s transfer.
Milan’s prospects next season are good. The Rossoneri can expect to feature in the Champions League, which is every player’s dream plus, they cannot be ruled out as challengers for the scudetto no matter how weak they may seem.
Why Ronaldinho would leave all this for Flamengo baffles me. Ronaldinho’s move to Brazil could also spell doom for his career. If Dinho moves to Flamengo, he can be sure that he will not be returning to Europe again. He is better off at Milan. But then again, if Milan can’t have him, then i would not mind him returning to Brazil. Ironic, huh?
However, all hope is not lost as its still early days in the transfer market. Moreover, Milan President Silvio Berlusconi has expressed his desire to see Dinho finish out his contract. One thing is for sure, Milan better have a good replacement if Dinho leaves or they will be lucky to finish in a top ten spot next season.
Photo credit: from Nino H
