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City's Ronaldinho offer 'worth £9.5m a year'

18/06/2008

Manchester City's wage offer to Barcelona star Ronaldinho is worth a staggering £182,000 a week, according to AC Milan vice president Adriano Galliani.

Speaking to Italian newspaper Gazzetta dello Sport, Galliani revealed his club are unable to compete with the spending power of City, who are owned by former Thai prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra.

Milan are one of several clubs believed to be interested in signing the Brazilian playmaker, who has been told by Barca coach Pep Guardiola that he can leave this summer.

City's Premier League rivals Chelsea are also thought to be tracking Ronaldinho.

But, according to Galliani, it is the Eastlands outfit that are leading the race to sign the 28-year-old because they can outbid most other clubs in terms of weekly wages.

"We'd like to offer Ronaldinho from Barcelona the chance to play for us," he told the Italian daily.

"However, Manchester City have offered the Brazilian €12 million (£9.5 million) a year. How can we compete with that?"

Galliani also cast doubt over whether any of Milan's Serie A rivals could afford to foot the bill for players of the calibre of Ronaldinho for much longer.

"For now Italian football is ranked fourth in Europe behind England, Spain and Germany," he said.

"Unfortunately we can't compete with the wages they offer. It is the way our football is going unless we change things."