Real Madrid's unsettled Brazil striker Ronaldo is "close" to signing for AC Milan, a Milan official said Friday.
"From what I've heard, Ronaldo is very close to moving to Milan," team minder Silvano Ramaccioni said.
"I got the news from the management," Ramaccioni said.
He said he wasn't able to provide details of the deal.
News of the move was confirmed Thursday night by one of the Italian political world's keenest Milan supporters, Roberto Maroni of the Northern League.
He said he got the word from Milan boss Silvio Berlusconi.
Stressing he was not a fan of the ageing Brazil legend, Maroni said: "I heard from Berlusconi on the phone and got some news that didn't drive me wild with enthusiasm".
On Friday, Berlusconi declined to comment on the reports, saying "I can't say anything".
Berlusconi's No.2, Milan Vice President Adriano Galliani has confirmed rumours he is negotiating with Real Madrid.
According to Italian newspapers, Galliani agreed personal terms for the move in a meeting with Ronaldo's agent Fabiano Farah on Tuesday.
He reportedly confirmed that Milan wants to acquire the player outright - rather than taking him on loan - on a free transfer.
Ronaldo's new contract would run until the summer of 2008, just like his existing deal with the Spanish giants.
AC would effectively take the star, who Real boss Fabio Capello does not intend to use any more, and his hefty wage bill off Real's hands.
Now Galliani faces the tough task of persuading Real Madrid to let Ronaldo go for free.
The latest whispers from those in the know is that Ronaldo is willing to fork out some five million euros to break his Real contract.
He is prepared to do this, soccer watchers say, because his existing contract requires him to split his huge sponsorship revenue 50-50 with the Spanish club.
The new contract with Milan will have no such stipulation, sources familiar with the negotiations say.
Even though his best days are behind him, Ronaldo could still provide much-needed finishing skills for Milan, whose attack is suffering a goal drought.
Italy star Pippo Inzaghi again failed to find the net in an Italian Cup quarter-final defeat at second-division Arezzo Thursday night - although Milan still went through to face Roma because of their two-goal advantage from the home game.
Milan's new Brazilian signing Ricardo Oliveira - standing in for out-of-form Italy striker Alberto Gilardino - was equally unproductive.
Asked about Ronaldo, AC Milan coach Carlo Ancelotti was tight-lipped.
"We'll have to wait until January 31," he said, referring to the closure of Italian soccer's mid-season transfer window.
Real, who compounded their recent misery Thursday night by going down to a Copa del Rey defeat to mid-table Betis, has been dragging their feet on the deal because of Ronaldo's initial demands. Real Chairman Raul Calderon has ruled out a free transfer but there is reason to believe a compromise can be found, insiders say.
The 30-year-old one-time 'Phenomenon' wants to keep playing for a big club in a top championship, unlike his team-mate David Beckham and former Real colleague Luis Figo, who have been lured to less prestigious leagues by massive offers from American and Saudi clubs respectively.
And Real will not find it easy to offload a player with such a high salary anywhere else.
Although past his prime, Italian soccer pundits say Ronaldo would strengthen a Milan attack weakened by the departure of Andriy Shevchenko last summer.
If a deal is sealed, it will be a field day for the Italian media, which has long been waiting to hail the return of a prodigal son.
Ronaldo plied his trade with Milan's cross-town rivals Inter for five seasons between 1997 and 2002.
His term at Inter was dogged by injuries and latterly a running feud with coach Héctor Cúper, but he still scored a string of memorable goals.
It was while he was an Inter player, in 1998, that Ronaldo suffered a still-mysterious fit ahead of Brazil's 3-0 defeat to France in the World Cup Final.
He was still on Inter's books when, after two operations and 20 months of rehabilitation, he came back for the 2002 FIFA World Cup, in which he scored two goals against Germany in securing Brazil's fifth World Cup title. Ronaldo scored against every team he came up against except England in the quarter finals and was the top scorer of the tournament with eight goals.
Later in 2002 he won the World Player of the Year award for the third time and transferred to Real Madrid for approximately 40 million euros.
