AC Milan: Cassano in, Ronaldinho out

Italian giants AC Milan are currently top of Serie A and have made it into the Pre-Quarterfinals of the UEFA Champions League, but in recent weeks their performance hasn't been the best and the club is looking to strengthen the team further in the winter transfer period. Upfront the club brought in Robinho and Zlatan Ibrahimovic in the summer, but have had oldie Filippo Inzaghi and youngster Pato mainly on the injury list while Ronaldinho has seen little match action.

Now the club is set to exchange players for the second half of the season. Italy's 'enfante terrible' Antonio Cassano has been confirmed as an addition to the Milan squad joining the Rossoneri from Serie A rivals Sampdoria Genoa, while Brazilian Ronaldinho seems to be on his way out with him moving further down the pecking order with Cassano joining Milan in January when the transfer list opens.

Milan president Silvio Berlusconi, who is also Italian prime minister, said: "Yes. We will be signing Cassano. I am also very happy with how the side are playing."

Cassano isn't the easiest of characters, actually he was suspended and then fired by Sampdoria after abusing club president Riccardo Garrone, but the club couldn't fire the outlaw and were looking to get rid of the striker. In Milan Cassano is set to sign a contract until 2014, but is said to get less then the 2,8 Million Euros he was receiving in Genoa. And Sampdoria will have to share the 5 Million Euros transfer fee with Real Madrid, the former club of Cassano who still hold a stake in the player.

Coming to speak about Ronaldinho Silvio Berlusconi said, "It is a shame for Ronaldinho. At the moment, he has not been playing well or training as well as he can."

With Cassano coming in it means it could be the end of the road for Ronaldinho. And his home club of Gremio Porto Alegre along with rivals Flamengo and Palmeiras are interested to bring the former Brazilian international back to his home country, but there is also interest from the English side Manchester City and MLS club LA Galaxy.

Gremio president Paulo Odone see's his club at an advantage and told Brazilian daily Zero Hora, "Ronaldinho feels that he owes our club something. He told us he wants to return to Gremio and end his career where it started. There are conversations going on and a very good chance that the move will go through."