Agent set for AC Milan talks over Pato exit

Alexandre Pato's agent is set for a meeting with the AC Milan board following reports the striker is unhappy at San Siro.

The 23-year-old came on as a second-half substitute in the Rossoneri's 3-1 win over Anderlecht on Wednesday night and scored his side's third and final goal, before reportedly threatening to quit the club after the game.

"If Alexandre said certain things, then he must have had his reasons, Gilmar Veloz told TMW.

"I want to get a better understanding of the situation with Milan before anything happens.

I will arrive in Italy on Tuesday, I will speak with Pato and then with the club to evaluate what to do next. I do not want to say anything more at the moment because I would not w ant to say inexact things.

I do not know if he can leave Milan. Ask me the same question once I have spoken to all parties.

Pato has made seven appearances for the Serie A giants this season, scoring two goals.

Manchester City set to win race to sign 'Balkan Messi' Alen Halilovic

By Chris Myson

Manchester City are set to win the race to sign Alen Halilovic, the Dinamo Zagreb sensation who has been coined the Balkan Lionel Messi.

Roberto Mancinis side have beaten off fierce competition from clubs around Europe, most notably Manchester United and Real Madrid, both of whom have long been credited with holding an interest in the 16-year-old wonderkid.

City officials have been in Zagreb since Monday trying to thrash out terms to bring the starlet to the Etihad and an agreement is now in place for a deal that could eventually be worth around 9 million.

Halilovic is the latest impressive graduate from Dinamo Zagrebs academy, which has also produced stars such as Luka Modric, Niko Kranjcar, Vedran Corluka and Mateo Kovacic.

The attacking midfielder has already been touted as the finest Balkan player of his generation despite the limited amount of first-team experience has picked up so far.
He made his senior debut off the substitutes bench in a 3-1 win over bitter rivals Hajduk Split in September, an appearance that made him the youngest ever debutant in the Croatian top flight at 16 years and 102 days.

Just 10 days later Halilovic broke another record - this time becoming the league's youngest ever goalscorer after netting with a superb Messi-esque chip in a 4-1 rout of Slaven Belupo, while last month he became the youngest player to play for Dinamo Zagreb in the Champions League when he appeared against Paris Saint-Germain.

Once the transfer is announced, he would become Citys seventh signing of the season following the arrivals of Jack Rodwell, Javi Garcia, Maicon, Scott Sinclair, Matija Nastasic and Richard Wright.

While Mancini's men were drawing 1-1 to Real Madrid in the Champions League on Wednesday night, Halilovic was getting another small taste of European action, coming off the bench for the closing stages of Di namo Zagreb's defeat to Porto.

Halilovic is a Croatia youth international, currently playing at under-17 level for his country.

Follow Chris Myson on

Schalke general manager dismisses Huntelaar Arsenal link

Schalke general manager Horst Heldt has dismissed transfer speculation linking striker Klaas-Jan Huntelaar with a move to Arsenal.

Heldt was speaking after the Germans 1-0 win at home to Greek club Olympiakos, which keeps them top of Group D of the Champions League above the Gunners.

The Netherlands international's contract expires at the end of the current season, and has been linked to several clubs including the Gunners' Premier League rivals, Liverpool.

When asked about a possible move for Huntelaar, Heldt told Sky Germany: It's pure speculation. Either Arsenal make us an offer, otherwise it's a load of nonsense.

Huntelaar was also asked about the link between himself and a move to north London, but insisted that he was unaware of any developments.

He said: I know nothing.

Moussa Sow claims Arsenal & Liverpool interest before Fenerbahce move

Fenerbahce forward Moussa Sow has claimed that Liverpool and Arsenal attempted to sign him before he opted to move to Turkey.

The 26-year-old Senegal international impressed for French side Lille in Ligue 1 between 2010 and 2012, scoring 31 goals in just 54 league games to alert some of Europe's top teams.

However, despite the interest from the English sides, Sow joinedSar Kanaryalar in January 2012 and insists he is "really happy" in the "great city" of Istanbul.

"Both Arsenal and Liverpool had tried to sign me before i ended up in Fenerbahce but I don't have any regrets having done so," he told reporters.

"I wanted to play at a team which have a fantastic atmosphere and in a great city like Istanbul. My religious view was also effective in my decision to join Fenerbahce. I'm really happy here."

The two English sides were on the lookout for strikers, with Arsene Wenger eventually losing Rob in van Persie to Manchester United in the summer while Brendan Rodgers' side are still light on forward options.

Sow was criticised by Turkish newspaper Haberturk in October, claiming the player was injury-prone all along and the club doctors knew about that situation.

The newspaper even alleged that club doctor Ertugrul Karanlik had warned coach Aykut Kocaman about Sow's situation, but was threatened to keep his report private.

Fenerbahce condemned the newspaper and declared the claims as false, and Sow has shrugged off the accusations: "The rumours which suggested that I had an injury all along haven't touched my nerves, at all. I just laughed at them. Some people try to demoralise me, I suppose."

"Some even mentioned my fasting as a bad thing. I'm a believer and God gave me strength through all this."

Drogba asks Fifa permission for loan move

Shanghai Shenhua attacker Didier Drogba has asked Fifa for permission to make a transfer outside the January transfer window in order to prepare for the African Cup of Nations.

The Chinese league season came to an end earlier this month, and Drogba has set his sights on a temporary move away from Shenhua to maintain his fitness until the Afcon kicks off on January 19, 2013, with world football's governing body considering the former Chelsea star's request.

"The Fifa administration services are looking into it,'' Fifa said in a statement.

Drogba has recently been linked with clubs such as Juventus and Chelsea, but he would be unable to move before January 1 under current Fifa regulations.

Cote d'Ivoire have been drawn alongside Tunisia, Algeria and Togo in Group D of the 2013 Afcon. They take on Togo on January 22 in their first match of the tournament.

Liverpool's Reina unsurprised by Suarez interest

Liverpool goalkeeper Pepe Reina says he is unsurprised by the amount of interest that team-mate Luis Suarez is attracting from other clubs.

The former Ajax striker has been in fantastic form of late, sending out another reminder of his quality during the Reds 3-0 win over Wigan on Saturday by scoring two goals to take his Premier League tally for the season to 10.

This has led to the Uruguay international gaining the attention of a host of clubs - most notably Manchester City. But Reina has insisted that such interest is to be expected for a player in Suarezs form.

"Luis is on fire. He is in really good form and he looks like he can score every game and for us that is very important because we need to profit from that," he told reporters.

"He will attract the interest of many clubs, it is only normal, but he is quite happy at Liverpool and that is the important thing for us and the supporters.

"Jamie Carragher sa id even if he is not the best player then he is the player in better form than anyone in the league right now.

"He is certainly a world-class striker and that is a good thing he is playing for Liverpool."

Liverpool are currently sit 11th in the Premier League table, having taken 15 points from their opening 12 matches.

Ronaldo returning to Manchester United is Ferguson's 'Christmas wish'

Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson has stated that he would love to bring Cristiano Ronaldo back to Old Trafford, but that it is nothing more than "a Christmas wish".

The Portuguese forward admitted recently that he misses his former manager and described him as his "father in football".

This prompted Sir Alex to talk of his continued admiration for the Real Madrid man, but described him as "unbuyable", having scored 165 goals in 162 games for los Blancos.

With the Portuguese wingers disquiet at the Santiago Bernabeu well-known, the Red Devils manager jokingly told reporters that bringing Ronaldo back to Old Trafford is "a Christmas wish - we have them every year!"

United currently sit second in the Premier League table after losing 1-0 to Norwich City, one point behind reigning champions Manchester City who emphatically won 5-0 against Aston Villa on Saturday.