Man. City: Milan 'Bottled' Kaka Sale

• Guardian, Tuesday, January 20, 2009 1 PM

AC Milan "bottled" the transfer of Brazilian midfielder Kaka to Manchester City, according to City's Chief Executive Garry Cook, returning home from Italy after the Serie A club turned down the EPL team's $150 million offer for the player.
 
Cook said that although he knew a deal wouldn't be easy, Milan's celebrations at Kaka's decision to stay were at odds with their willingness to sell him. "The player was clearly for sale," Cook told BBC Radio. "We had entered into a confidentiality agreement weeks ago but, in my personal opinion, they [Milan] bottled it."
 
"We had gone through a three- or four-stage process in which Milan made it quite clear Kaka was for sale and we made it clear we intended to bring him to Manchester City. As we got to the next stage, there were questions they could not answer, and I think the political and public pressure made them change their conditions."

Read the whole story at Guardian »