Paris Saint-Germain Preparing Audacious Swoop for AC Milan Duo

When your sporting director plied his trade both as a player and manager for AC Milan, it follows that you will be linked incessantly with transfer rumors to that side.

Just look at how often Jose Mourinho is linked to players he formerly managed at Porto, Chelsea and Inter Milan.

That is the case with Ligue 1 side Paris Saint-Germain, who have employed Leonardo Araujo as their sporting director since the summer of last year. (Leonardo played for PSG during the '96-97 season as well.)

Since taking the helm of this ambitious new venture by Qatar Sports Investments, who assumed ownership of the prestigious French capital side ahead of the 2011-12 season, Leonardo has worked tirelessly to infuse top talent into the squad.

The goal in 2011-12 was to qualify for the Champions League, which PSG accomplished by way of a second-placed finish. That feat was made easier given the glut of talent Leonardo helped amass.

Last summer alone, PSG spent over €100 million on new recruits, headlined by the arrival of Argentine playmaker Javier Pastore, and this past winter deals were struck for Alex, Thiago Silva and Maxwell.

Pastore was the crown jewel of the bunch. The Palermo star did not come cheap, costing PSG €42 million, and thus battering the previous transfer record in France by some €20 million. (Yoann Gourcuff had previously held that distinction after his sale from Bordeaux to Olympique Lyonnais in 2010 for €22 million.)

Now it looks as if PSG will beat their own record, as they line up a reported €47 million deal for AC Milan defender Thiago Silva, whom Leonardo managed at the San Siro during his lone season as at the helm of the Rossoneri in 2009-10.

That deal has been in the works for weeks now.

The juicy new wrinkle to that well-worn story, revealed Tuesday, is that Leonardo is prepared to offer Milan an additional €30 million for Swedish striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic.

French radio station RMC, who divulged this news development, believe that Milan could be tempted to offload both players in an attempt to offset some €70 million worth of club debt.

Ibrahimovic, no stranger to switching clubs during his illustrious career (he has played for three Italian clubs—Juventus, Inter Milan and AC Milan, along with stints at Ajax and Barcelona) is apparently open to a move away from the San Siro were Silva to leave the club.

RMC reported Ibrahimovic's entourage as saying that Silva's departure would be "an enormous loss," and could convince the tall striker to join the Brazilian defender out the door.

Ibrahimovic's agent Mino Raiola would neither confirm nor deny reports that his client is close to joining PSG. Raiola also represents Maxwell, the left-back who joined PSG from Barcelona this past winter.