KAKA: REAL MOVE DECIDED IN JANUARY

Kaka has claimed his move to Real Madrid from AC Milan was decided on as early as January.

Milan had always insisted Kaka was not for sale and stunned the footballing world when they accepted a bid for the Brazil playmaker from Manchester City in the January transfer window.

Hundreds of fans turned up at Kaka's house to plead with him not to leave and although he decided to stay, he has now revealed it was because he was convinced by a phone call from Madrid.

"It wasn't exactly Florentino (Perez, Madrid president) who called, because he wasn't the president at the time." Kaka told Spanish sports daily AS. "For me it was a surprise all the fuss they created around it.

"It was the first time Milan wanted to sell me. (Milan president Silvio) Berlusconi assured me that it was only for financial reasons.

"For me it was great to see the fans outside my house showing their support for me not to leave.

"They were days of a lot of emotion, but I knew that everything was already decided."

Perez has created a stir since returning to the presidency last month, spending well over 200million euros on Cristiano Ronaldo, Kaka, Karim Benzema, Raul Albiol, Alvaro Negredo, Esteban Granero and Alvaro Arbeloa.

He is acting much like he did during his first spell in charge, the famous galacticos era, and Kaka has revealed Perez made several attempts to sign him back then.

"There was a first attempt when I arrived at Sao Paulo. It didn't work and it was then that I moved to Milan," said Kaka.

"Whenever I received offers from whatever team I always passed to Milan the responsibility of deciding on my departure. They were a club I loved and at which I was always happy.

"In six years there were offers, including some from Real Madrid. But Milan decided to open the door for me this year. First with City, but I then told them that I would only leave to go to Real Madrid."

Kaka, who is set to make his long-awaited debut on August 7, met all his new team-mates at the Peace Cup last Sunday and has started training with them for the first time this week.

The 27-year-old has vowed to propel Madrid, who ended last season empty-handed for the fourth time in six years, back to glory.

"It's excellent here," added Kaka. "I've been warmly welcomed by all my team-mates, and also the whole of the coaching staff and everyone who works for the club.

"It's been even better than I expected.

"I want to win. I hope to win trophies with Madrid and the most important of them is the Champions League.

"Moreover, the final this year will be held at the Bernabeu and that's an extra motivation.

"Everyone involved in football knows how difficult it will be to win it, but I have a great desire to win the Champions League in the Bernabeu.

"And I also would like to win La Liga, of course."

Many comparisons have been drawn between Kaka and Madrid legend Zinedine Zidane.

However, the former FIFA World Player of the Year insists he still has a lot to prove before he can be regarded in the same light.

"Zidane is a football legend, both in France and at Real Madrid," said Kaka. "He is in a league of his own because he made history throughout his career. I still haven't achieved that.

"It doesn't bother me if they compare the two of us, it's normal. It's not the first time it's happened to me. Everywhere I've been they have always compared me to him.

"At Madrid I hope to use him as a role model so that I can make as much history as he did at the Bernabeu. For me, that will be paramount."

FERGUSON PLAYS DOWN REAL AIMS

Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson has backed his club to cope without Cristiano Ronaldo and questioned whether Real Madrid's squad has the right balance to challenge for Champions League glory.

United sold Ronaldo to Real for £80million earlier this summer, with the Spanish giants also spending huge sums to bring in Kaka from AC Milan and Karim Benzema from Lyon.

The spending was prompted by the re-election of Florentino Perez as Real president. He was criticised in his first term for building a side containing sublime talent in some areas but lacking quality and experience in others, particularly in defence.

Ferguson sees a similar pattern emerging again, a view shared by his Milan counterpart Leonardo.

"I understand all too well that losing 26 goals from a winger is hard to replace, but we will try because it is the nature of our club that the expectations never change whether you have Ronaldo or (Antonio) Valencia," Ferguson said.

"I would not like to be (Real coach Manuel) Pellegrini picking his teams."

Ferguson joked: "I told Ronaldo when he left us that they will probably be playing him at centre-half; I don't think they have one.

"It is difficult with all their individuals to pick the right balance and that is part of it."

Leonardo, whose Milan side are involved alongside United in the four-team Audi Cup in Munich, must also cope without Kaka but is also hoping Real's 'galacticos' policy will come unstuck.

Talking about the first term under Perez, he said: "They did not win so much in the end. It is not easy to construct a team with talented individuals.

"To create a team, you need something more and we hope Real Madrid don't have that. Sometimes you need more than talent to win."

A small fraction of the Ronaldo transfer fee was reinvested to sign Valencia from Wigan, and he is expected to feature against Boca Juniors tomorrow.

Ferguson has attempted to play down expectations surrounding the Ecuador star, who he believes will need time to settle in at Old Trafford.

"He has the potential and we hope he will develop and will become a star of tomorrow," he said.

"Valencia is a player we watched throughout last season.

"He is young, athletic, has good power and I think, at the age of 23, he can develop at our club."

United face Boca Juniors tomorrow evening before playing either Bayern Munich or AC Milan in Thursday's final or third-place play-off.

Ferguson added that he had done his homework on tomorrow's South American opponents via late-night television.

"If you can't sleep at three in the morning in England, then you can see Boca," he said. "And I don't sleep at three so I have seen them many times.

"They are one of the best teams in South America. We had a very competitive game with them at Old Trafford three years ago."

MILAN MAY ENTER HUNTELAAR CHASE

AC Milan coach Leonardo has confirmed his interest in Real Madrid striker Klaas-Jan Huntelaar, while reiterating his determination to increase his squad.

The former Brazil international has previously admitted the need to bring new faces to San Siro after the departure of Kaka to Real, and he has been linked with Juventus' David Trezeguet.

Huntelaar has also been mentioned as a target after the Dutchman backed out of a move to Stuttgart, while Tottenham and Arsenal are also thought to be tracking the former Ajax star.

Leonardo has now admitted he would be interested in the 25-year-old if Milan decide to enter the transfer market ahead of the deadline at the end of August.

He told the Italian media: "If we find the chance to invest, Huntelaar is a player we would consider."

Pre-season has not gone to plan for Leonardo, who succeeded Carlo Ancelotti this summer, following defeats to Chelsea and derby rivals Inter.

Some have questioned Milan's decision to hand the inexperienced 39-year-old his first management job, but he is keen to be offered time as his squad return to full fitness.

He added following the defeat to Inter: "I don't want to find excuses. Inter played better than us but we were really tired.

"We need a bigger group. We have players like Alessandro Nesta, Gennaro Gattuso and Marco Borriello who are coming back after injuries and they need to regain fitness gradually."

BENDTNER COMMITTED TO GUNNERS

Nicklas Bendtner has pledged his future to Arsenal after being linked with a move to Italian giants AC Milan.

Milan are on the hunt for a striker and are have reportedly have turned their attention to the Dane after missing out on Luis Fabiano, Edin Dzeko and Emmanuel Adebayor.

With the Rossoneri keen to spend funds raised from the sale of star playmaker Kaka to Real Madrid the 21-year-old is believed to have surged up manager Leonardo's wanted list.

Bendtner himself knows nothing of a potential move to the San Siro and says he is fully committed to Arsene Wenger's side, with whom he is expected to play a greater role this season following Adebayor's exit.

The Denmark international, who has three years left on his Gunners deal, is happy at the Emirates and has no plans to move elsewhere.

"I haven't heard anything about [that]," he told the club's official website. "As far as I know I am totally with Arsenal.

"This is where I want to be. This is something special and I want to be a part of it.

"This is the club I want to play with and it has always been that way."