Berlusconi considers move for Shevchenko

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The Milan president, Silvio Berlusconi, said yesterday that a move for Barcelona's Ronaldinho was not on the club's agenda this summer. He did not, however, rule out a move for Chelsea's Andrei Shevchenko.

Milan are expected to rebuild an ageing team following a poor season in Serie A and a last-16 elimination, by Arsenal, from the Champions League. The Brazil striker Ronaldo is out with a knee injury, so recruiting a forward is a priority.

Berlusconi said: "Ronaldinho has never been an aim of ours because we have always felt that he would not have been the ideal partner of players like Alexandre Pato and Kaka."

Shevchenko, a former Rossoneri favourite, has struggled to make an impact at Stamford Bridge and Berlusconi, who is godfather to Shevchenko's eldest son, Jordan, is thought to be keen on taking him back to the San Siro.

"I believe Milan must make a point of reinforcing its defensive line and also find a great forward, who is physically strong," said Berlusconi. "Shevchenko is a player that is physically fit and who is still in our hearts and in those of the Rossoneri fans."

The Ukraine striker became Milan's second highest all-time goalscorer in a seven-year spell at the club which ended in the summer of 2006, when he joined Chelsea for £30m.

The former Chelsea striker Adrian Mutu, who has a knee injury, will miss Romania's Euro 2008 warm-up fixture against Russia in two weeks' time, the national coach, Victor Piturca, said yesterday.

Piturca did not include Mutu, who could return on the bench for his club side, Fiorentina, this weekend, among 11 foreign-based players picked for the friendly in Bucharest on 26 March. He said he would give Mutu more time to recover.

Piturca named the in-form striker Marius Niculae, of Inverness Caledonian Thistle, in a squad which he will complete with players from the domestic league next week. Romania will face France, Italy and the Netherlands at the finals, which will be held in Austria and Switzerland in June.