Manchester City have lost out to Italian side AC Milan in the race to sign Barcelona playmaker Ronaldinho.
"AC Milan and Barcelona have reached an agreement in principle over the transfer of Ronaldinho," the Serie A club said on their website.
"The player will be in Milan on Wednesday to undergo a medical and sign a contract that will keep him at Milan until 30 June 2011."
City had reportedly bid £25.5m for the 28-year-old Brazilian.
DINHO FOR HIS FRIENDS
MILAN - He's called
Ronaldo De Assis Moreira, for everyone he's Ronaldinho, for his friends he is just
Dinho. Brazilian smile, class and versatility. The new Rossonero doesn't need any presentations. He's a champion with a capital C, the kind you fall in love with. Striker or playmaker, with a refined technique, a powerful shot, and an excellent vision, Ronaldinho was born in Porto Alegre on 21 March 1980.
His career starts with Gremio, a team he plays with for four years, playing 35 league games, scoring 14 goals and debuting in the Copa Libertadores. In 2001 the Brazilian joins Paris Saint Germain. In Paris he plays more than 50 Ligue 1 matches, scoring 17 goals. Gaucho's ambition, however, is to play for a big club. It's like this that Ronaldinho arrives in Barcelona in July 2003. In his first season in the Catalan club the Brazilian star's contribution is fundamental: his 19 goals bring the Blaugrana to the second place in La Liga.
In 2004/2005 his magic goes past the Spanish borders. In the Champions League Ronaldinho wins everyone over, scoring spectacular goals and making great moves. He also scores against Milan in Barcelona's 2-1 victory in the group stages. The feeling with the European competition is completed the following year: Ronaldinho carries Rijkaard's team to the victory in the final against Arsenal, winning his first Champions League. Then came the second consecutive league title, which had already been won the year before. The individual awards also came soon: he's the Golden Ball winner 2005 and, for the second consecutive year, he's the Fifa World Player.
With Barça Ronaldinho also plays the Club World Cup: in the 2006-2007 season, in Japan, the Brazilian leads his team in the semifinal against Mexican side America scoring a goal and setting up two others, but then the Catalan side lost the final.
Concerning the national team, Ronaldinho has played in all of Brazil's teams: Under 15, Under 17 (1997-he wins the World Cup in that category), Under 20, Under 23, and the Senior team. With Brazil he wins the Copa America in 1999, the Confederations Cup in 2005 and especially the 2002 World Cup in Korea and Japan. Dinho is considered one of the major protagonists in the Seleçao's fifth world title victory.
DINHO'S NUMBERS
1998-2001: Gremio - 35 appearences, 14 goals
2001-2003: Psg - 72 appearences, 25 goals
2003-2008: Bracellona - 207 appearences, 91 goals (on 2 February 2008 he played the 200th game at the Camp Nou against Osasuna)
Club total: 314 appearences, 131 goals
DINHO'S PALMARES
Gremio: 1 league title (1999)
Psg: 1 Intertoto Cup (2001)
Barcelona: 2 Spanish league titles (2004-2005, 2005-2006)
1 Spanish SuperCup(2005)
1 Champions League (2005-2006)
Brazil: 1 Copa America (1999)
1 Fifa World Cup(2002)
1 Confederations Cup (2005)
INDIVIDUAL AWARDS
1999
Gremio top scorer
Confederations Cup top scorer (6 goals)
Best player of the Confederations Cup
2004-2005
FIFA World Player
2005
Golden Ball
2005-2006-Best player Uefa
Best striker (2005)
Best player of the year (2006)
2005, 2006, 2007
One of the best 11 players of the year Fifpro
source: acmilan.com
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