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AC Milan will only sign a striker on loan when the transfer window re-opens in January, club vice-president Adriano Galliani revealed.
The Rossoneri are looking to reinforce their attacking line after Antonio Cassano was ruled out indefinitely after undergoing a heart procedure last week.
Reports in Italy have strongly linked Catania forward Maxi Lopez with a move to the San Siro outfit in January.
"I have read those reports," Galliani said to Gazzetta dello Sport. "For sure if we bring a striker he will only join us on loan with an option to make the move permanent because we intend to keep a place for Cassano in the team.
"I believe Maxi Lopez is worthy of playing at Milan but so are other strikers. "There are many good strikers in Europe."
Lopez, who has scored two goals in six league appearances for eighth-place Catania this season, claimed on Monday he would welcome a move to AC Milan.
"Milan are a great club, so it's normal that I would like to play for them," the Argentinian forward said. "But I have to talk to Catania and my agent.
"We'll see what happens in January. "I am certainly ready for another experience with a top club after playing for Barcelona." The 27-year-old is under contract with Catania until January 2014.
Ezequiel Lavezzi's agent insists the Argentina forward will remain at Napoli this season.
Reports in Italy have linked the 26-year-old Lavezzi with a move to AC Milan in the winter transfer market.
Milan are looking to reinforce their attack in January with striker Antonio Cassano ruled out indefinitely after undergoing a heart procedure. Lavezzi is also a reported target of Manchester City.
"There is no truth in reports linking Lavezzi with Milan," said the player's agent Alejandro Mazzoni to Corriere dello Sport.
"Lavezzi's name has never come up in the conversations I've had with (AC Milan sporting director Ariedo) Braida.
"Manchester City have never called me to enquire about Lavezzi.
"Lavezzi is at Napoli and wants to remain here.
"I don't think it's right to discuss a possible move for Lavezzi right now as he must only concentrate on Napoli's season and the Champions League."
Lavezzi joined Napoli from San Lorenzo in 2007 and is under contract with the Serie A outfit until June 2015.
Dates announced for postponed Serie A matches 8 November 2011
New dates have been revealed for the Serie A matches postponed due to extreme weather in parts of Italy.
Juventus' trip to Napoli on Sunday and Genoa's hosting of Inter a day earlier were cancelled following flash floods around the cities of Genoa and Naples, in which several people died.
However, Lega Serie A - the competition's governing body - has now announced the new fixtures after a consultation with the clubs.
Napoli will host Juventus on November 29, while Inter visit Genoa on December 13.
Massimo Ficcadenti has been sacked as coach of Cagliari after just four months in charge of the Serie A club.
Ficcadenti, 44, took over at the Stadio Sant'Elia on August 16 following the dismissal of former Italy coach Roberto Donadoni, who was himself sacked two weeks before the start of the season.
Ficcadenti has guided Cagliari to three victories, four draws and three defeats from 10 league outings in 2011/12.
He leaves with the club a respectable 10th on the Serie A table, although they are only five points outside the relegation zone, and without a win in their last five matches."Massimo Ficcadenti is no longer the Cagliari coach.
The decision was made today," the club said in a statement on Tuesday."Cagliari Calcio thank Massimo Ficcadenti and his staff for the work done up until now with effort and professionalism."
"Along with the coach, his collaborators (Bruno) Conca, (Ermes) Fulgoni and (Mattia) Toffolutti also leave the Rossoblu," the statement said, referring to Ficcadenti's assistants.
Former Genoa and Palermo boss Davide Ballardini is reportedly among the front-runners to succeed Ficcadenti.
Ballardini helped Cagliari avoid relegation when served as interim coach in the second half of 2007/08.
Former Juventus general director Luciano Moggi has been found guilty of sporting fraud and sentenced to more than five years in prison.
Moggi - a key player in the 2006 Calciopoli match-fixing scandal - was found guilty by the Tribunal of Naples but will not spend any time in jail due to the Italian laws.Since this is a first-degree sentence, there are several levels of appeal which Moggi can use.
Former refereeing designators Paolo Bergamo and Pierluigi Pairetto have been sentenced to three years and eight months and one year and 11 months respectively, while Fiorentina owners Diego and Andrea Della Valle and Lazio president Claudio Lotito have each been banned for one year and three months.
"I absolutely did not expect this sentence," said Maurilio Prioreschi, one of Moggi's attorneys. "We have only lost the first round, we will try to turn the situation around in appeal.""We will do everything until we have justice. Moggi is devastated, he does not understand how he has been given this sentence."
"We now have 90 days to know the grounds for the decision and prepare our defence for the appeal."Moggi, 74, had already been banned from football for life for his involvement in an organised criminal ring which was discovered via a network of phone calls, implicating referees and designators as well as FIGC (Italian Football Federation) officials.
The FIGC relegated Juventus to Serie B, docked the club nine points for the 2006/07 campaign and stripped them of the 2004/05 and 2005/06 Serie A titles after conducting their own investigation, while Fiorentina, AC Milan, Lazio and Reggina all received points deductions among their sanctions.
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Moggi decision proves innocence, says Juve 9 November 2011
Juventus says the Tribunal of Naples' ruling on Luciano Moggi has absolved them of guilt in the Calciopoli scandal.
Former Juventus general director Moggi was sentenced to five years in prison after being found guilty of sporting fraud, though he is not expected to spend any time behind bars as he and 15 others sentenced by the tribunal are unlikely to be ordered to prison before their appeals process runs out.
Juventus were stripped of two Serie A titles and relegated to Serie B as a result of the Calciopoli investigation, but had a request for damages refused by the court on Tuesday.Along with AC Milan, Fiorentina, Lazio and Reggina, Juventus were implicated in a match-fixing scandal involving club officials, Italian Football Federation (FIGC) representatives and referees.
"Today's decision stated Juventus' non involvement with the matters charged," a club statement read. "The club was taken to the court of Naples as civilly liable entity by way of objective liability according to Art. 2049 Italian Civil Code."
"The decision emerged from the result of a thorough hearing and from the analysis of all evidence, clashed with the reality of an inaccurate sports law which severely penalised Juventus, the sole club damaged due to the removal of two titles - following the victories achieved on the pitch - with consequent relegation and related extensive losses."
"Juventus will continue their legitimate campaigns in order to restore the equality of treatment."
Cagliari appoint Ballardini as coach
Cagliari have appointed Davide Ballardini as their new coach after sacking Massimo Ficcadenti on Tuesday night.
Palermo rocked by Hernandez blow
Palermo have suffered a blow with striker Abel Hernandez set to be sidelined for at least a month through injury.
Moggi will appeal jail sentence
Former Juventus general director Luciano Moggi has announced he will appeal against his sentence.
Italy try to close Calciopoli chapter
The Italian press celebrated the end of a dark chapter in the country's football history following the verdicts and jail sentences being handed down in Calciopoli.
AC Milan line up move for Drogba
]Italian giants AC Milan are eyeing a loan deal for Chelsea striker Didier Drogba in January.
Inter set to test Arsenal on RVP
Inter Milan are set to test the resolve of Arsenal to keep club captain Robin van Persie by making a bid in the January transfer window.
Ibrahimovic: I'm happy at AC Milan
Zlatan Ibrahimovic has refuted reports that he intends to leave AC Milan, and said his previous comments were "misunderstood".
Ficcadenti sacked from Cagliari
Cagliari have made the surprise decision to sack manager Massimo Ficcadenti.
Moggi finally jailed for Calciopoli
Luciano Moggi was sentenced to five years and four months in prison by a Naples court for his part in the match-fixing scandal that rocked Italy five years ago.
Rossi looking forward to Fiorentina job
New Fiorentina coach Delio Rossi is looking forward to the challenge of turning around the fortunes of the Serie A outfit.
Mihajlovic admits Fiorentina defeat
Sinisa Mihajlovic has admitted he made mistakes during his time as coach of Fiorentina.
Luciano Moggi was sentenced to five years and four months in prison by a Naples court for his part in the match-fixing scandal that rocked Italy five years ago.
Moggi, who was banned from football for life by a sports court, has been found guilty of criminal association aimed at committing sports fraud.
He was one of 16 people found guilty while eight were cleared, according to Italian news agency ANSA.
As a result of the scandal, Juventus were demoted to the second division and were stripped of the 2005 and 2006 Serie A titles.
AC Milan, Lazio, Fiorentina and Reggina were also involved in the scandal, known as Calciopoli, and were penalised with points deductions.
Fiorentina owners Andrea and Diego Della Valle and Lazio president Claudio Lotito received 15-month sentences as well as fines of 25,000 euros each.
Former AC Milan executive Leonardo Meani was given a one-year sentence.
Former Italian football federation vice-president Innocenzo Mazzini was sentenced to 26 months while ex-referee Massimo De Santis was given 23 months.
Moggi's lawyers have confirmed they will appeal the sentence with the 74-year-old denying the charges.
Moggi will appeal jail sentence Former Juventus general director Luciano Moggi has announced he will appeal against his sentence.
Moggi was on Tuesday found guilty of criminal association aimed at committing sports fraud by a civil court in Naples.
The 74-year-old was punished to five years and four months in prison for his role in the match-fixing scandal that rocked Italy five years ago. "The verdict was already written," Moggi told Gazzetta dello Sport.
"Now we will appeal hoping for true justice, otherwise, we will have to put our trust on the divine. This is just the first round, I will continue to fight. I am confident." Moggi, who was banned from football for life by a sports court earlier this year, was surprised by a statement issued by his former club Juventus.
Juventus, who had their appeal for damages rejected yesterday, claimed on their website that the court in Naples confirmed the club's "non-involvement" in the scandal. As a result of Calciopoli, Juventus were demoted to the second division and were stripped of its 2005 and 2006 Serie A titles.
"I don't understand Juve's statement," Moggi said. "It seems as though I played alone in this but it was not like that. "I will defend myself, without a doubt."
Italy try to close Calciopoli chapter The Italian press celebrated the end of a dark chapter in the country's football history following the verdicts and jail sentences being handed down in Calciopoli.
Former Juventus director Luciano Moggi was slapped with a five-year, four-month prison term by a Naples court for his role in the match-fixing scandal, known as Calciopoli, that disgraced Italian football five years ago.
Moggi, found guilty of criminal association aimed at committing sports fraud, was also banned from football for life by a sports court. Fifteen other people were found guilty, including Fiorentina owners Andrea and Diego Della Valle and Lazio president Claudio Lotito, while eight were cleared.
All guilty parties are set to launch appeals with Moggi also denying his charges. Gazzetta dello Sport led its front page with a photograph of Moggi during the trial followed by a headline: "They are guilty. Moggi gets five years and four months."
Corriere dello Sport also had Moggi's picture on their front page with a headline: "Calciopoli - verdict in Naples - Guilty!" An editorial in Gazzetta dello Sport expresses hope that yesterday's sentences will allow the country to move on and focus on the games on the pitch, not off it.
"Let's return to football," it said. Corriere's editorial reflected the lessons learned from the scandal, saying: "This poisoned football - now rigour is needed." Turin-based sports newspaper Tuttosport felt the verdict was disproportionate but was glad that the city's giants, Juventus, were not considered to be involved directly in the scandal.
Calciopoli led to Juventus being demoted to the second division, and to the club being stripped of its 2005 and 2006 Serie A titles. However, Juventus had their appeal for damages rejected on Tuesday. Tuttosport's front page reads: "Moggi & Co found guilty but Juve not.
Italian giants AC Milan are eyeing a loan deal for Chelsea striker Didier Drogba in January.
The Ivory Coast international appears to have fallen down the pecking order at Stamford Bridge behind Fernando Torres and Daniel Sturridge.
And the Rossoneri have been keeping taps on the 33-year-old's situation and are keen to secure his services in the January transfer window.
According to The Daily Mirror, an initial loan deal could be in place for Drogba, whose contract with the Blues is set to expire at the end of the season.
The powerful striker is likely to welcome the move as he looks to secure first-team football.
Meanwhile, Drogba will play in the Africa Cup of Nations in Gabon and Equatorial Guinea in January.
He has played over 300 games for Chelsea, scoring 145 goals.
Inter set to test Arsenal on RVP Inter Milan are set to test the resolve of Arsenal to keep club captain Robin van Persie by making a bid in the January transfer window.
The clock is ticking on the Dutchman's contract with the North London side, as he has just 18 months left on his current deal with the Gunners.
To make matters worse, his recent form for Arsenal, which has seen Van Persie notch 12 goals in 15 games, has attracted interest from all of the world's top sides.
Reports from talkSPORT indicate that new Inter Milan manager Claudio Ranieri has not been impressed by his centre-forward pairing of Diego Forlan and Mauro Zarate, and is looking to replace them in the New Year, as the duo were assembled by failed predecessor Gian Piero Gasperini, who only survived five games into this Serie A campaign.
Currently, Inter are languishing on 16th position domestically, and are experiencing a goal drought, with just two goals at home, the worse record in Serie A.
Ranieri has met with club president Massimo Moratti to discuss who they can sign to partner along Diego Militoo, who is the only striker to have scored more than one league goal for the Serie A giants so far this season.
However, they will be looking to move swiftly in order to beat Bayern Munich, Juventus and AC Milan for the Dutchman's affections, as the trio are all also keen to sign up the Arsenal club captain.
Ibrahimovic reveals Moggi breakdown 9 November 2011
AC Milan striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic has revealed former Juventus director Luciano Moggi broke down and cried during the Calciopoli scandal.
Moggi is seen as one of the main culprits in the case and was found guilty of sporting fraud by the Tribunal of Naples on Tuesday, and was consequently sentenced to five years and four months in prison.
Juventus were stripped of the 2004-05 and 2005-06 Serie A titles for their alleged involvement in Calciopoli and were also relegated to Serie B - a decision that came as huge blow to Moggi - and Ibrahimovic said it brought upon an emotional, public reaction.
"The first time I met Moggi it was immediately clear that he was a powerful person. The way he dressed and behaved. He was a different person during that meeting, though. He stood there and started crying in front of us (the squad).
That's what's impressed me most," Ibrahimovic said in his autobiography."It felt like a punch in the stomach. He had always looked strong and I had never seen him like that before. He had always radiated power and strength and seemed to be in control of what happened.
I felt compassion for him when I saw him in that state."The Sweden international also voiced his frustration with the decision to take Juventus' Scudetti away from them as he feels they won the trophies because of their hard work rather than due to help from referees.
"The Calciopoli scandal is all nonsense, in my opinion. At least the most of it is. We didn't win because referees did us favours. We won because we worked very hard and were the best. We always fought hard and didn't need any help," he said.
The AC Milan striker's autobiography goes on sale on Friday, but the book has already made several headlines as a result of leaked excerpts.
Ibrahimovic slams Mancini conduct 11 November 2011
AC Milan striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic has continued his outburst against his former coaches - this time hitting out at Manchester City boss Roberto Mancini.Just a week after criticising Barcelona coach Pep Guardiola, the Sweden international has lashed out at the current Manchester City boss, who he played under at Inter Milan.
Ibrahimovic looked back at the moment Mancini turned his back on Inter following their elimination from the Champions League against Liverpool during the 2007/08 season, and in doing so triggered turmoil inside the dressing room, according to the striker.
"Mancini is a dandy with a handkerchief in his pocket," Ibrahimovic told La Gazzetta dello Sport."I never understood Mancini's reaction (against Liverpool). Mancini was doing well, the team liked him and we were always improving.""Why did he use those words? By doing so he lost the faith of the dressing room."
Ibrahimovic's switch from Barcelona to Milan last year and how it came about has generated plenty of interest.The 30-year-old was eager to shed light on the circumstances surrounding his return to Italy."Milan played against Barcelona at Camp Nou on August 25 (2010), but the transfer deadline was on the 31st," Ibrahimovic said.
"People spoke about a deal, but nothing had been decided.""But I will never forget when Ronaldinho (then at Milan) came into the dressing room and told me: 'Ibra, we have come to sign you', I knew then that Milan wanted me and they considered me important."Ibrahimovic won the Serie A title in his first season with Milan.
AC Milan striker Alexandre Pato has resumed full training and could feature in the Rossoneri's visit to Fiorentina on November 19.
Brazil international Pato has been sidelined since September due to a thigh injury.
The 22-year-old is expected to make the squad for Milan's first encounter after the international break as the Serie A champions are short of options up front due to the absence of Antonio Cassano.
Italian Cassano underwent heart surgery last week and will be sidelined for several months.Milan sit third in the Serie A table with 20 points from 10 games.
Forlan: Inter´s form hard to explain 11 November 2011
Inter Milan striker Diego Forlan remains optimistic of his side's turnaround in fortunes in Serie A.Forlan has been on the sidelines since mid-October when he suffered a hamstring injury while playing for Uruguay against Paraguay in a 2014 World Cup qualifier in Asuncion that ended in a 1-1 draw.
In the 32-year-old's absence, Inter have struggled on the domestic font as they are 17th in the league standings with just eight points from nine matches, but have fared better in the Champions League where they lead Group B with nine points from four games.
When asked on Inter Channel's 'Prima Serata' program why the Nerazzurri's form has been better in Europe than in Serie A, the former Atletico Madrid forward was at a loss to explain the reasons but enthused about positive results ahead.
"There are no logical answers in football," said Forlan. "That's just the way it goes. There are games when you do well and others that go differently.""The main thing is to make sure we qualify for the knockout stages of the Champions League.
We haven't managed to get it together in the league yet, but we haven't had much luck either.""We were playing well against Juventus, for example, and they scored twice on the counterattack [2-1 home defeat in October]. It's a period when things aren't going right for us, but the good times will definitely come."
Forlan then revealed that he is making progress in his injury rehabilitation."I feel fine and the physical work is going well too," he said."I needed a bit of a rest psychologically and to do this sort of work, which I haven't been able to do over the last few months."
"As I said, I feel fine but there's no date yet. I'm working well and working a lot.""I think I'll do some tests next week and we'll see how things are coming along. I'm training alone at the moment and that's important to improve my fitness.
"Forlan, who joined Inter from Atletico on a two-year contract during the summer transfer window, has scored one goal in five Serie A appearances.
Report: AC Milan table Montolivo bid
AC Milan have reportedly tabled an offer of €3million for Fiorentina midfielder Riccardo Montolivo.
Forlan: Hard to explain Inter's slump
Inter Milan striker Diego Forlan struggles to explain the miserable form his side are experiencing in the Serie A.
Totti pays tribute to Del Piero
Roma captain Francesco Totti has paid tribute to fellow veteran Alessandro Del Piero on the Juventus striker's 37th birthday on Wednesday.
Krkic: Roma must continue to grow
Roma forward Bojan Krkic believes his team will be competitive in the near future but for the time being they must concentrate on growing as a team.
AC Milan cheered by Pato return
AC Milan striker Alexandre Pato returned to full training and could feature in the Rossoneri's trip to Fiorentina on November 19.
Hazard proud of Inter Milan link
Lille midfielder Eden Hazard is proud to be a reported target of Inter Milan.
Catania welcome Milan's Lopez bid
Maxi Lopez will be free to join AC Milan should the club make an acceptable offer for him, according to Catania chief executive Pietro Lo Monaco.
Ibrahimovic: I wanted to join Madrid
AC Milan forward Zlatan Ibrahimovic revealed he has previously asked Barcelona if he could join rivals Real Madrid.
Moggi continues to proclaim innocence
Despite being convicted of sporting fraud by the Italian courts, Luciano Moggi has continued to proclaim his innocence.
"No Champions League helps Juve"
Juventus defender Giorgio Chiellini believes that the lack of UEFA Champions League football is proving helpful for his side in Serie A.
Allegri: Ibra on par with Ronaldo, Messi
AC Milan coach Massimiliano Allegri believes Rossoneri striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic is as good as Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi.
Juventus director Giuseppe Marotta says they are waiting for a report on Arturo Vidal's Chile exclusion before deciding whether to punish him.
The midfielder will not play a part in his country's upcoming World Cup qualifiers, after he and four other squad members were reportedly sent home for falling foul of coach Claudio Borghi's disciplinary measures.
Vidal, Jorge Valdivia, Jean Beausejour, Gonzalo Jara and Carlos Carmona were all shown the door on Wednesday after turning up 45 minutes late for a training session, according to Radio Cooperativa.
"Once we verify what happened then we will decide what action we need to take. Vidal risks a fine," Marotta told La Gazzetta dello Sport.
"In any case, we are waiting for a detailed report of what happened.""We will then speak to the player and then see what we need to do."
Chile's now-depleted squad will play Uruguay and then Paraguay in their World Cup qualifying matches.
Ajax boss Frank de Boer has revealed his club are looking to sign Inter Milan defender Cristian Chivu in the January transfer window.
The 31-year-old Romanian was linked with the Dutch side in the off-season as his current deal at San Siro expires in 2012, and de Boer is keen to bolster his defence in January.There has been no sign of talks with Inter to extend his terms, meaning he would be able to join his former club on a free deal.
Chivu played at the Amsterdam ArenA between 1999 and 2003 before leaving to get his first taste of Serie A with Roma.De Boer has made clear he will try to open a dialogue with the defender and his club over a transfer.
"He (Chivu) is a serious option for sure," De Boer told De Telegraaf."Last summer we saw Chivu as a possible replacement for Jan Vertonghen who was wanted by many clubs.""We had a look at Joris Mathijsen, but he decided to join Malaga. After that our choice was Cristian."
But De Boer is unsure if the move is viable as he tries to do some housekeeping with his squad, claiming a transfer depends on other factors."It (the Chivu move) depends again on Vertonghen," he said."I don't think Chivu will come to sit on the bench."
"He is our plan B and he is a good alternative with a lot of experience at the highest level. Chivu is a great professional, who has always followed Ajax."Ajax are fifth in the Eredivisie, 11 points behind leaders AZ Alkmaar, with 20 points from 12 matches so far this season.
