And who can blame him for wanting to avoid the endless Manchester rain, abating every other Thursday if you’re lucky. Setanta report that it’s apparently nailed-on that Ronaldinho will choose Milan over Manchester City, irrespective of who throws enough cash at him.

Adriano Galliani, the Milan vice-president with plenty to say for himself, claims that the Brazilian forward is all about a move to Italy to continue his playboy lifestyle of partying, cavorting and disco dancing.

“City have made the deal complicated, but I think the player doesn’t want to go to Manchester,” Galliani told reporters.

City are believed to have tabled a bigger offer than Milan and Galliani claims his club will not be able to match the bid.

He added: “We’re not going to reach the €32 million (£25 million) in any way.”

Perhaps this is a blessing in disguise for Man City fans and also Mark Hughes. It’s hard to imagine the Welshman was looking forward to trying to manage a player with an ego the size of an elephant. Manchester City should surely be going after young hungry players who can contribute towards the club’s future over several seasons - not someone who can step up and take the odd free-kick.