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Milan set for Ivanovic crunch talks
Wednesday 13 August, 2008
Today could be the day that Milan complete a swoop for Chelsea’s Serbian defender Branislav Ivanovic.

The Rossoneri are looking to swell their defensive ranks and have set their sights on the 24-year-old stopper.

Ivanovic has been told that he doesn’t feature in Luiz Felipe Scolari’s first-team plans for the coming campaign and has grown frustrated at his inactivity in West London since arriving in January from Lokomotiv Moscow.

The most likely solution is a loan deal, which will allow Milan to add some depth to their back line for the season and prevent Chelsea from losing a possible star of the future.

The world champions are likely to be offered the chance to make the deal permanent this time next year for a fee of around £10m.

Diavolo transfer guru Ariedo Braida is expected in London within the next few hours to meet with Ivanovic’s agent Marko Naletilic and Chelsea chief Peter Kenyon.

A number of details still have to be ironed out, but a deal could be completed within the working day.

channel4

[Tennie]

Darmian's got real potential as a CB (and to my surprise RB, where he played a couple of times in the U19s). He's been mentioned a couple of times here and there over the last year by both Ancelotti and Maldini as someone to keep an eye on.

The other young defender to keep an eye on is Michelangelo Albertazzi. He's a LB and is just 17 (actually captain of the U17 Azzurini). Played with the U19s this summer and is playing in the Primavera this year, a year ahead of his age. This kid could really be something in a year or two.

[Giancarlo]

Darmian's got real potential as a CB (and to my surprise RB, where he played a couple of times in the U19s). He's been mentioned a couple of times here and there over the last year by both Ancelotti and Maldini as someone to keep an eye on.

The other young defender to keep an eye on is Michelangelo Albertazzi. He's a LB and is just 17 (actually captain of the U17 Azzurini). Played with the U19s this summer and is playing in the Primavera this year, a year ahead of his age. This kid could really be something in a year or two.

I like Darmian and he's quite solid, though Albertazzi I've only heard about to a lesser extent. People say Italy is not producing as many defenders as it used to, but I think there is a new golden era of young Italian players... and I think Milan may have a lot of these players.

This post has been edited by Giancarlo: Aug 15 2008, 01:56 AM