Chelsea, Liverpool and Manchester City on alert as Kaka eyes January move from Real Madrid

Kaka is set to be offered a January move to England after failing to live up to  expectations at Real Madrid.

Inter Milan had looked the most likely destination for the Brazil playmaker, but the Italians are ready to ditch their interest for fears of intense competition from Barclays Premier League sides looking to make an impact signing when the transfer window reopens.

Chelsea boss Carlo Ancelotti is a confirmed admirer of the 28-year-old, while Manchester City and Liverpool have also been identified as potential destinations.


Inter are instead likely to battle Juventus and Manchester United for Karim Benzema - another out-of-favour Real Madrid striker - and believe they can win the race by offering Brazil right back Maicon in exchange.

Kaka will have no shortage of suitors despite a poor first season at the Bernabeu following a £56million move from AC Milan.

His former club are believed to be interested in taking him back to replace Ronaldinho - who is wanted for a lucrative move to the Los Angeles Galaxy - but they cannot compete financially with English interest after already splashing out on Robinho and Zlatan Ibrahimovic.

Chelsea may be best placed to sign Kaka because of the close bond between the player and Ancelotti, who got the best out of the midfielder during their time together at the San Siro.

However, it is unclear whether the Blues would be willing to splash out a hefty transfer fee after considerable belt-tightening at Stamford Bridge.

City have the resources and boss Roberto Mancini has indicated he will re-enter the market in January. Relations between City, Milan and Kaka were damaged by a botched bid to take him to Eastlands in January 2009, but the landscape has changed.

The player’s standing has declined, while City’s status has rocketed since then and a deal may now be attractive.

Liverpool have also been mooted as a potential suitor by sources in Italy, with Kaka tipped as the kind of signing that would be a coup for the new Anfield owners.

Kaka is recovering from a knee injury which will keep him out for most of the rest of the year, but the indications in Spain are that he has already fallen out of boss Jose Mourinho’s plans.

Mesut Ozil was brought in from Werder Bremen in the summer to occupy the same position and has already impressed.

Should Madrid opt to keep their patience with Kaka, who arrived to much fanfare when Florentino Perez took over as president last year, they could decide to send him back to Brazil on loan until he regains form and fitness. Sao Paulo have already shown interest in a short-term deal.

Benzema is being widely tipped for the exit as well after struggling to get a start in his favoured centre forward position under Mourinho.

Manchester United boss Sir Alex Ferguson has previously admitted interest, but a move to Italy now seems more likely for the France striker.

However, Mourinho will not sell unless he can bring in at least one new striker in January, with Manchester City’s Emmanuel Adebayor in his sights.