Now, I dont think it will happen, but why shouldnt Milan be able to sell Ibra to City? Milan can just fulfill the buy-out clause (8m/year for 3 years=24m total) and sell him on immediately for higher price to City, or Dzeko+cash.
Galliani is wheeling and dealing personified, makes Harry Redknapp look like a schoolboy, just look at the deal he's made during the last year:
- got Ibra from Barca on loan with forced(!) option to buy
- making Cassano and Sampdoria pay a third each of the 5 million sell-on clause to Real Madrid
- he got to Kevin Prince Boateng on the cheap using Genoa as Proxy club
- loaned Robinho on the cheap.
Milan's actions are those of a club that doesn't have any money. That's why I believe that the prospect of selling Zlatan to his biggest fan Mancini for a tidy profit, or Dzeko + millions of euros would be appealing for Galliani and Berlusconi.
Looking at the bigger picture, its make or break time this summer for Milan. Either they make it, buy out all their loans and buy a couple of more players to replace ageing players, or brake it, just say are skint, send back the loanees and wheel and deal again, and their squad will be another year older.
There is no way Ibra goes back to Barcelona, that's for sure, Villa hasnt been a great success but Guardiola decided he's the future and that's the final word.
In Italy, he's run out of options - Juve and Inter would never accept a return there, the other clubs are not big enough. For me the probabilities right now are:
1) Staying in Milan - 75% (Still the most likely option that they will fork out the 8m/year somehow)
2) Manchester City - 15% (Mancini will do everything in his power, but totally depends on CL qualification)
3) Chelsea - 5% (Ancellotti knows what Ibra can do)
4) Real Madrid - 5% (Mourinho loved Ibra while at Inter, played him every game)
I am absolutely confident that Ibra is Mancini's number 1 target. The only reason why Dzeko - or Balotelli for that matter - were bought, was because he turned Mancini down for a chance to win the Champions League with Milan.
Dzeko has potential, but Ibra is a superstar. He has a winning mentality, exactly what Mancini bangs on non stop about. As I see it, and probably Ibra does too, is that City would be lucky to have him. His arrogance is born out of not accepting anything else than to win. 10 consecutive league titles in 3 countries with 4 different clubs, bunch of domestic cups, supercup, etc tells its own story. He is 29 and has at least 2-3 great years left in him. These 2-3 years is all needed to propel City towards honors and glory.
