Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Thiago Silva on their way to Paris in a big-money deal

Paris St. Germain, backed by their billionaire owners from Qatar, mean serious business this time around as they look to bolster their squad in a bid for the Ligue 1 title. Despite possessing unmatched financial muscle in the French league, PSG could manage only a second place finish, three points behind a cash-strapped Montpellier. Their Italian manager Carlo Ancelotti is keen on replenishing the squad and is set to bring the AC Milan duo Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Thiago Silva to the club.

Milan President Silvio Berlusconi has revealed the news about the impending move in an interview to the website Gazzetta dello Sport. He also added that the club could hope to save up to 150 million euros in two years. It is reported that the duo have been sold for a combined price of 65 million euros (51.4 million pounds), making this move the most expensive transfer of the season.

PSG Sporting director Leonardo is scheduled to meet the striker’s agent today in Sweden to finalize the details. Ibrahomic, who still has three years left in his contract, joined the Serie A giants on loan from Barcelona in 2009 and later moved permanently at the start of the 2010-2011 season. In the two seasons that he played for the Italian club, he has made 61 appearances and scored 42 goals. He was also Serie A’s top scorer last season with a record 28 goals.

Meanwhile, Thiago Silva’s move has come as a surprise to many. The Brazilian international was linked with a move to Paris throughout the summer but he seemed content at Milan and had in-fact signed a contract extension till 2017. The central defender has played for Milan on 92 occasions, scoring 5 goals.

At San Siro, the two players were said to draw a combined salary of about 15 million pounds a year. With their transfer, Milan would not only be able to cut down on player salaries but can look for more reinforcements. The club is reportedly tracking FC Schalke defender Kryiakos Papadopoulos as a possible replacement for Silva. The Greek defender has been in impressive form for his German club in the past two seasons but might not come cheap as he has a contract till June 2015.

Apparently, the San Siro outfit has also made enquiries about Manchester city striker Edin Dzeko. With Carlos Tevez back in favour at the Etihad and Robin van Persie rumoured to make a move to City, Dzeko might find himself down the pecking order. AC Milan are said to be closely monitoring his situation but nevertheless could face stiff competition from fellow rivals Juventus and Inter Milan.

Tags: Barcelona, Brazil, EPL, Manchester City

Category: Football