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Adriano-Gilardino Swap: A Likely Outcome?

With AC Milan vice-president Adriano Galliani still maintaining his Adriano preoccupation, and Roberto Mancini recently stoking more fires of speculation with complimentary words for Alberto Gilardino, could the two strikers pass each other as they cross the Milan divide?

AC Milan striker Alberto Gilardino is fast falling out of favour for both club and country, while Inter forward Adriano has problems that are only too well known, culminating in his exile from first-team affairs.

Meanwhile, rossoneri vice-president Adriano Galliani has repeatedly deemed Adriano a "champion" and a player that Milan would love to have.

What's more the nerazzurri coach Roberto Mancini recently said that Gilardino would be a player that he'd love to coach.

"We have five attackers, but he is a great player and would fit in perfectly with the players that we have," added the former Azzurri legend.

Could it be a match made in heaven for each club if they were to swap forwards?

Of course, it's all still speculation at this point. While Adriano Galliani has been busy this week telling the world that "Adriano is a player [Milan] would take any day," he has also for quite a while maintained that he does not see Inter selling the player to AC.

Even more importantly, both Galliani and coach Ancelotti have recently sung the praises of Gilardino, the former praising the striker as the "future" of the San Siro club, along with new signing Pato.

Adriano's future, though, is far less secure, with Inter's words to the player about a reconciliation perhaps only the first chapter in a story that could see the player's career at Inter either end entirely or come back to life.

[jbryant1]

Adriano Main Target For Milan In January The Milan management have set their sights on Inter's out-of-favour striker Adriano to reinforce their forward line in the next transfer window.
Adriano Main Target For Milan In January
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Pato will not be the only new face available to Milan from January.

Everything seems to indicate the Rossoneri management will try to have another new striker available to coach Carlo Ancelotti by the end of the winter transfer window.

A number of reports out of Italy are suggesting that their number one target, unreachable as it may seem, is Inter's out-of-favour Brazilian striker Adriano.

"We would take him instantly," said Adriano Galliani only a week agom though admitting that a move seemed unlikely.

However, the problem Inter have is there are a select few clubs in the world that can afford his transfer fee, and his pay-cheque.

The only one of them really interested at this moment are Milan, who seem to have their Brazilians working on the Inter cast-away.

The player himself, meanwhile, also believes the Milan's environment, with the large Brazilian contingent and the uncanny knack of rehabilitating players, would be the ideal place to rediscover his form and get back to being the player he once was.

The names of Freddie Kanouté, Nicholas Anelka, and Nwankwo Kanu have also been mentioned in connection with Milan, should the Inter striker prove unobtainable.

The only problem regarding the tall Sevilla striker is that, should he come in January, he will not be able to play in the Champions League. Kanouté has a guaranteed first-team place at Sevilla, so he will certainly be a part of their European campaign.