MILAN // Zlatan Ibrahimovic could be headed back to Italy's Serie A, with AC Milan maneuvering to sign the Sweden striker from Barcelona. The Milan vice president Adriano Galliani and Barcelona president Sandro Rosell are due to meet in Spain tomorrow when their clubs face each other in a pre-season friendly. The Gazzetta dello Sport reports that Milan are prepared to take Ibrahimovic in a loan deal and pay half of his ?12 million (Dh56m) salary, plus offer forward Marco Borriello in return.
Barcelona reportedly want to sell Ibrahimovic for ?40m (Dh185m) in a full transfer. Ibrahimovic played for Juventus and Inter Milan before joining Barcelona last season. He scored 16 goals in the Spanish league but often struggled to fit into Barca's intricate passing schemes. Meanwhile last night Liverpool left unsettled Argentine midfielder Javier Mascherano out of their squad for the defeat to Manchester City because of his expected move to the Spanish champions.
* AP