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AC Milan's Adriano Galliani: Our only transfer target is Manchester City's Carlos Tevez, and Alexandre Pato is staying put
The Rossoneri have dropped their interest in all other transfer targets to focus on signing the Manchester City striker, while there have been no talks with PSG over 'The Duck'
Dec 29, 2011 3:08:00 PM
By Mark Doyle
Getty Images
AC Milan CEO Adriano Galliani has reiterated that Maxi Lopez’s proposed move to San Siro will not go through as the club is solely focused on signing Carlos Tevez, while at the same time declaring that Alexandre Pato will not be joining Paris Saint-Germain.
The Rossoneri had reached an agreement with Catania to bring Lopez to the Giuseppe Meazza next month, but the deal became dependent on the outcome of the club's pursuit of Tevez.
Galliani hoped to have the Tevez situation resolved already, but he is now willing to wait until the end of the January transfer window to thrash out at deal with the forward’s current employers, Manchester City.
Out of courtesy, though, he is not prepared to leave both Lopez and Catania in limbo until then.
"We gave up on the deal [for Lopez],” Galliani told Milan Channel. “Catania and the player behaved well but we cannot keep other teams and players on standby while we wait for Tevez.”
And Galliani reiterated that the Rossoneri and City remain at loggerheads over the obligation to buy Tevez at the end of the proposed loan deal, with the Italian champions unwilling to make such a vow.
"I believe and hope that Carlos arrives," he told the Italian news outlet. "We have dropped all other leads to bring someone who is one of the best in the world.
“He continues to say that he wants only AC Milan and I am fully concentrated on this deal. The fans can rest assured that if they do not the get the result they want it will not be for a lack of effort.”
Meanwhile, despite constant speculation linking Pato with a move to PSG, after a reported falling out with Milan boss Massimiliano Allegri, Galliani insists the Brazilian is going nowhere.
"I have not heard from [PSG sporting director] Leonardo, nor Pato,” he claimed. “There are no negotiations.
“Pato is a Milan player and the truth is only that. In these days when the championship is stopped, the newspapers do not know what to write.”
Milan is currently top of Serie A, ahead of Juventus on goal difference, and resumes its bid for a second successive Scudetto against Atalanta on Jan. 8.
The Rossoneri had reached an agreement with Catania to bring Lopez to the Giuseppe Meazza next month, but the deal became dependent on the outcome of the club's pursuit of Tevez.
Galliani hoped to have the Tevez situation resolved already, but he is now willing to wait until the end of the January transfer window to thrash out at deal with the forward’s current employers, Manchester City.
Out of courtesy, though, he is not prepared to leave both Lopez and Catania in limbo until then.
"We gave up on the deal [for Lopez],” Galliani told Milan Channel. “Catania and the player behaved well but we cannot keep other teams and players on standby while we wait for Tevez.”
And Galliani reiterated that the Rossoneri and City remain at loggerheads over the obligation to buy Tevez at the end of the proposed loan deal, with the Italian champions unwilling to make such a vow.
"I believe and hope that Carlos arrives," he told the Italian news outlet. "We have dropped all other leads to bring someone who is one of the best in the world.
“He continues to say that he wants only AC Milan and I am fully concentrated on this deal. The fans can rest assured that if they do not the get the result they want it will not be for a lack of effort.”
Meanwhile, despite constant speculation linking Pato with a move to PSG, after a reported falling out with Milan boss Massimiliano Allegri, Galliani insists the Brazilian is going nowhere.
"I have not heard from [PSG sporting director] Leonardo, nor Pato,” he claimed. “There are no negotiations.
“Pato is a Milan player and the truth is only that. In these days when the championship is stopped, the newspapers do not know what to write.”
Milan is currently top of Serie A, ahead of Juventus on goal difference, and resumes its bid for a second successive Scudetto against Atalanta on Jan. 8.
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