It looks like the new UEFA Financial Fair Play Plan has already affected AC Milan of the Italian Serie A as the club is starting to sell off some of its top players. If all of the reports are correct, then Milan has transferred Brazilian international Thiago Silva to Paris Saint Germain of the French Ligue 1 and there’s a good chance that Swedish striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic will be joining him, as reported to Gamblingnerd.com.

Along with Silva and Ibrahimovic, Milan has also cut ties recently with Gianluca Zambrotta, Calarence Seedorf, Gennaro Gattuso, Mark Van Bommel, Pippo Inzaghi, and Alessandro Nesta. Milan fans won’t be happy, especially if Ibrahimovic is sold, but if they want to receive top money for him now is the time to do it. When you add up all of the players who have left the club, it comes to approximately 40 per cent of the team’s total wages, which were about $250 million last year.

Milan needs to save money and by selling Ibrahimovic and Silva to PSG they could rake in about $75 million for them. It will be costly for PSG, but the 27-year-old Silva is rated as one of the best central defenders on the planet and when he’s in the mood, Ibrahimovic can sometimes be unstoppable while finding the back of the net on a consistent basis. He’s led every club squad he’s been on to a league title in nine of the past 11 years and he’s relatively young still at 30. The possible Zlatan transfer is being watched very closely by Swedish newspapers and it shows what an important player he is in his home country.

Milan could have give it another run at the Serie A title and the Champions League by keeping the two players, but they might have ended up spending even more money to complement Silva and Ibrahimovic and going for broke while the opportunity was still there. Also Ibrahimovic’s contract is up in 2014 and it meant Milan would have had to re-sign, sell him, or possibly lose him on a free transfer. He’s reportedly making $30 million per season as it is.

This could be the last time ridiculous transfer fees are handed out if the fair play rules work. This is one of the reasons Milan decided it would be better to sell their players now. However, Milan will still have to replace the departed central defender and striker. Silva has signed with PSG and manager Carlo Ancelotti for five years. Ancelotti also signed him for Milan back in 2008, but by the time he was registered to play in the summer of 2009 Ancelotti had left the Italian club to take over as manager at England’s Chelsea. With Silva, Milan won the league in 2010/11.

Ibrahimovic apparently wants more wages before heading to France, but since the Sweden captain led Serie A in scoring last season with 28 in 32 games he may just get his wish.

Author Profile: Stefan+

written by Stefan