Italian transfer round-up: Milan close on Honda, Ljajic

Milan chief Adriano Galliani says his club can do nothing but wait to see if their bid for Keisuke Honda is successful.

“We are pretty relaxed when it comes to Honda,” the transfer official stated on Monday when asked about the Japanese international.

“We cannot sign players who are not for sale,” he added. “If CSKA Moscow do not want to sell then we will wait patiently.”

The midfielder has a deal with the Diavolo to join the San Siro giants in January on a free transfer once his contract with CSKA expires.

However, Milan have made a nominal bid to the Russian club for the 27-year-old in an effort to net him immediately.

“It all depends on the two clubs, just them,” Hiroyuki Honda, the player’s agent brother, told TMW.

“There is no need for me to speak with CSKA again. They already know the situation from the player’s point of view.

“This will be a very, very important week. Milan will see CSKA and there could be developments before the weekend.

“Keisuke is calm. The hope is that he can join Milan now, but all we can do is wait and see.”

Monaco boss Claudio Ranieri has reportedly asked the Ligue 1 club to sign Marco Amelia from Milan.

The goalkeeper’s future at San Siro is unclear given the possibility that Gabriel will be primarily used as back-up to Christian Abbiati this season.

Amelia, who was part of Italy’s World Cup winning squad in 2006, has also been paired with a possible move to Torino.

Amelia, now 31, is contracted to the Diavolo until June 2015. He joined the Rossoneri in 2010 from Genoa.

M’Baye Niang has committed his immediate future to Italian giants Milan. “I want to stay here,” he underlined.

The young striker has been linked with a possible move away, with Genoa making their interest known last week.

“I’m happy at Milan and I want to stay,” the former Caen striker told L’Equipe. “I know what I can give to the team and I don’t fear the competition for places.

“I can play as a striker, on the left or right, I’ll play wherever Coach Massimiliano Allegri needs me. I know that I have the qualities to make an impact with this club.”

Niang is an 18-year-old forward who failed to score in 20 League games for the Diavolo last term following his arrival from France.

Milan have defended their bid for Fiorentina’sAdem Ljajic, saying they do not understand criticism that their offer was “too late”.

The Diavolo tabled a bid for the forward on Friday, a move which seemed to anger the Tuscan giants over the weekend.

“We consider Milan’s offer to be unacceptable, certainly late and absolutely inopportune,” an official club statement noted.

Rossonero vice-president Adriano Galliani responded to that claim on Monday by insisting his club have behaved correctly.

“All we have done is made an offer during the transfer window,” Galliani commented. “We haven’t done anything wrong.”

Milan appear to have a point – there was nearly a full month left of the summer market when they made their bid.

Milan are believed to have made an offer of about €8m (£6.9m) for a player whose current contract is set to expire at the end of the season.

“At this moment in time, the conditions are not in place to complete the deal,” the former Lega Calcio chief continued.

Fiorentina will meet the 21-year-old’s agent this week in an effort to get him to sign a new deal at the Stadio Artemio Franchi.

La Viola admitted on Friday that the player would be sold if he didn’t put pen to paper on an extension before September 2.

Inter could complete the capture of Chelsea defender Wallace by the end of Monday, claims the Gazzetta dello Sport.

The 19-year-old will move to the San Siro on a loan deal after an agreement was reached between the two outfits.

Wallace is a right-back who the London outfit signed at the start of the year, but who was allowed to remain at Fluminense for a further six months.

Wallace, full name Wallace Oliveira dos Santos, is a Brazilian youth international. Inter will not have an option to sign him outright at the end of the 2013-14 campaign.

Genoa’s Alberto Gilardino could end up at Inter in a deal that sees Ezequiel Schelotto head in the other direction.

Striker Gilardino returned to the port club this summer after last season’s successful loan stint with Bologna.

However, his future has been cast into doubt given the understanding that Genoa had offered him to Roma in exchange for Marco Borriello.

Today’s Tuttosport is now linking the Italian international with the Nerazzurri, a switch that may include Schelotto.

The latter is looking for a new outfit after being frozen out of the San Siro set-up at by new boss Walter Mazzarri.

The 23-year-old, who was only netted from Atalanta in January, was dropped for the club’s pre-season training camp.

Schelotto, an Argentine-born Italian international, scored once in 12 League games for the Beneamata in the second half of the last campaign.

Chievo are also interested in the wide player.

Bologna have confirmed rumours suggesting Saphir Taider is on the transfer radar of Inter, but denied that a bid has been made.

“We know that Inter are interested in Taider,” Bologna director general Roberto Zanzi told Le Buteur. “But, we have yet to receive an official offer from the Nerazzurri.

“There has been no bid tabled, but I can’t deny that the two clubs have made contact with regards to the player.”

The 21-year-old midfielder, an Algerian international, is rumoured to be valued at around €18m (£15.6m) by the Stadio Renato Dall’Ara outfit.

Genoa will hold talks with Queens Park Rangers on Monday in a bid to land Adel Taarabt, reports the Gazzetta dello Sport.

Sporting director Daniele Delli Carri is set to meet officials in London to discuss a possible move for the Moroccan.

The Italian club would like to take the attacking midfielder on loan for 2013-14, with an option to buy next summer.

The 24-year-old Taarabt, though, is thought to be very close to a move to Fulham.

QPR are also believed to have made Genoa a €5.5m (£4.75m) bid for Swedish international defender Andreas Granqvist.