Why Signing Ricardo Kaka Would Be a Mistake for Milan

It's a story which has made the headlines in Europe for the past few seasons—Ricardo Kaka making his return to Milan after his unsuccessful, injury-plagued spell with Real Madrid.

Now that the player is in his 30s, he is a shadow of his former self. Milan fans remember the searing pace that made the Brazilian one of the most dangerous players in the world with the ball at his feet.

He would effortlessly glide past defenders, using his long strides to give Milan an extra gear on the counter.

Now, he has had to reinvent himself after losing his most dangerous weapon. With his mobility stunted, Kaka has had to become a more typical No. 10, picking apart the defense with a well-timed through ball and creative guile.

The latest reports from La Gazzetta dello Sporto suggest that Milan sporting director Adriano Galliani has flown to Madrid to meet with Florentino Perez in hopes of securing a deal for the former Ballon d'Or winner.

According to these same reports, Galliani has told journalists that it'll be incredibly difficult to finally secure a deal with Real Madrid for his services, as the player's current wages far exceed anything Milan is willing to pay the 31-year-old.

As of now, Kaka is on a yearly salary of €9 million, nearly doubling the wage of the most expensive player wearing a Rossoneri kit.

This summer transfer market has been a far cry from those of previous years, when it appeared the team was gearing up for a youth movement.

After recently signing 29-year-old Alessandro Matri from Juventus, bringing in another expensive player approaching his twilight would be a confusing break from the theory that developing youngsters is the only way Milan will be able to get themselves on the map again.

Assuming Keisuke Honda is signed in January, Kaka would be deemed as surplus and probably be relegated to the bench.

Considering Milan's other pressing needs—most notably in the center of defense—another addition to an already deep front line makes little sense.

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