AC Milan ready for Rui Costa coup

AC Milan are set to take advantage of Fiorentina's financial crisis and sign midfield play maker Rui Costa.

Milan are offering £28 million for the creative star and Fiorentina are looking to clear massive debts by selling off their best players with new Milan coach Fatih Teriminsisting that Milan beat off interest from SS Lazio to buy Costa.

Rui Costa is likely to move on in the summer after seven years in Florence.

Fiorentina confirmed debts of £45 million yesterday and are looking to sell off all their top stars with Inter wanting striker Enrico Chiesa and goalkeeper Francesco Toldo who is still looking to complete a transfer to FC Barcelona.

A midfielder with more of the subtle arts than most of his European contemporaries, Rui Costa can drift out of games completely and regularly frustrates the Fiorentina support. When the midfielder is on form he is an unrivalled creator of chances for those around him. For the Portuguese national side he lacks a reliable finisher to round off the moves he starts but Nuno Gomes performed well at Euro 2000 to allow Costa to shine at times. He has magical control when running with the ball but can hold onto it too long. The inheritor of the Baggio and Antongnoni tradition with Fiorentina he has long been linked with a move to AC Milan.

Rui Costa agreed a new contract with Fiorentina last July after Euro 2000 when coach Fatih Terim travelled to meet the player on holiday and ask him to stay at the club.

The new deal lasts until 2004 but Terim is now at Milan.

Milan want him to bring the Portuguese star with him but Rui Costa is close friends with Luis Figo on and off the pitch and he has a link to Real Madrid through their world record signing. But Milan are winning the race to sign Rui Costa with Real now buying Zinedine Zidane.

The Lisbon-born player was taken on by Benfica as a 12 year old but when he reached 17 they loaned him to third division club Fafa. He was voted best player in the third division in his one season there and also guided Portugal to the 1991 World Youth Cup title.

Benfica coach at the time was Sven Goran Eriksson and he brought Costa into his midfield as he built a team that was to go on and lift the Portuguese title in 1994 before his £5 million transfer to Italy.