Report: Kaka deal off

Manchester City assistant manager Mark Bowen has said a move for AC Milan midfielder Kaka is "very close" but reports in the United Arab Emirates have claimed the deal is dead.

Bowen told BBC Radio Wales this morning that City were still hoping to recruit the Brazilian for whom the Eastlands side are said to have bid around £100million and offered wages of £500,000 a week for his services.

But Arabianbusiness.com, who broke the story of the Manchester City takeover, claim to have been told by a senior source that the deal is off.

Bowen said: "We have understood there have been negotiations for a fair while now and as far as we are concerned we believe a deal is very close."

A City delegation is believed to have been in Italy to discuss a move for the player.

But Kaka himself has said he wants to stay with Milan and "grow old" at the San Siro.

Kaka is one of the most coveted players in the game and won FIFA's World Player of the Year award for 2007.

City's audacious attempt to sign the Champions League winner has been fuelled by the vast funds of owner Sheikh Mansour of the Abu Dhabi United Group, who took over the club in the summer.

City signalled their intentions to enter the big league by signing Robinho from Real Madrid for £32million in August and they do not intend to stop there.

On a more modest level, the club have already signed Wayne Bridge from Chelsea this month and they have also been linked with West Ham's Craig Bellamy and Blackburn star Roque Santa Cruz.