by Renee Israel
Despite rumours that star Brazilian footballer
Ronaldinho is fielding offers from the likes of Los Angeles Galaxy, Palmeiras, Olympiacos, Manchester City and other clubs, he is expected to remain with his
Serie A club, AC Milan.
As arguably one of the world's most talented footballers, it's only natural that clubs from all over are eager to sign the 30-year-old. The onus is then on AC Milan to fend off multi-million dollar offers for the Brazilian and keep him happy.
When asked about rumours that Ronaldinho is in talks with many top clubs, AC Milan assistant coach, Mauro Tassotti, told the media that he expects the midfielder, and his teammate Gennaro Gattuso, to stay where they are in AC Milan.
'I think Ronaldinho and Gattuso will stay,' said Tassotti this week. 'The one who seems most likely to leave is Klaas Jan Huntelaar, but I don't know if he wants to go.' Huntelaar's agent has subsequently denied that he has received any offers.
The point is that in the world of professional football, acquiring players of Ronaldinho's class is only half the battle. The other half is keeping them. Interestingly, since joining AC Milan in 2008, Ronaldinho has enjoyed mixed success.
For instance, in April this year Ronaldinho was named the 'assist leader' of Serie A, with a notable 13 assists. Plus he scored two crucial goals in the last match of the season. But then he also missed three penalties over the season.
And players that earn what Ronaldinho earns should not miss easy penalties. That said, the Brazilian star seems to enjoy playing in the Serie A for AC Milan, which is why he will likely choose to remain in Italy's premier football league.
