Milan - Italian title holders Inter Milan and European champions AC Milan are about to place competing bids for Barcelona`s Cameroon star striker Samuel Eto`o.
"The first goal of Milan for the next season is and remains Eto`o," club vice president Adriano Galliani on Monday told the ANSA news agency, thus quenching rumours of Milan`s interest in Brazilian Ronaldinho.
"If we have the financial resources and Barcelona make him available, we will buy him."
La Gazzetta dello Sport reported that Milan can afford a bid of €40-million (about R38-million) for the 26-year-old forward, who has played with Barcelona since 2004.
Inter, meanwhile, are said to
have offered to Barca an exchange deal that would allow them to field Ronaldinho next to compatriot Adriano.
The powerful 25-year-old forward was fielded scarcely in the just ended season and seems to have lost the motivation he displayed in the first seasons after his arrival in Italy in 2001.
Galliani added that "if all goes wrong, we will go on with a team of European champions, plus a certain Ronaldo."
The Brazilian star, who turns 31 in September, could not be fielded in the Champions League as Milan bought him from Real Madrid in January. - Sapa-DPA
