Super-agent Jorge Mendes teams up with Chinese consortium in bid to take over Italian giants Milan
Influential representative of Cristiano Ronaldo and Jose Mourinho involved in attempt to buy Serie A giants
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JORGE MENDES is involved in a takeover bid of AC Milan, according to reports in Italy.
The Serie A giants’ owner, Silvio Berlusconi, has been in negotiations over a sale of the club to a group of a Chinese consortium led by Sonny Wu for more than a year — but frequently delayed or cancelled the deal.
However, Italian daily, , claim super-agent, Mendes, who represents the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo and Jose Mourinho, has partnered up with a different Shanghai-based group — called Fosun — to emerge as shock contenders.
They are affiliated to another company called Gestifute, which is owned by Mendes.
Milan are open to the idea of another buyer as the delay involving Wu’s group is hampering new boss, Vincenzo Montella, in the transfer market.
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The seven-time European champions have fallen on hard times, having finished a lowly seventh last season, and missing out on Champions League football for the past three seasons.
Wu’s exclusivity to purchase the club is believed to have expired at the end of July, allowing a prospective new owner to swoop in.
The original offer was of £424million plus alleviating the club’s £204m debt.
Exact details of the new bid are unclear as yet but it is expected it will be significantly higher than Wu’s.
reveal that, Mendes has been interest in the club for a while.
Earlier this year, he offered £466m to buy the club — and two years, ago, he tried to broker a £254m sale to businessman Peter Lim, but was rejected.
Mendes’ influence is already telling as the Rossoneri reportedly open discussions with Benfica ace, Eduardo Salvio.
The Argentine has recently signed a contract with a buy-out clause worth £38m.
However, Milan would be able to sign him for £21m — but don’t have that kind of money until a sale is complete.