Thursday, 25th July, 2013
AC Milan vice-president Adriano Galliani has vowed to fight until the very "last day" to bring Keisuke Honda to the San Siro, whether the transfer happens in the summer or not.
CSKA Moscow have so far been unrelenting towards any Milan approach via Keisuke’s brother Hiro, even as the player himself wants the change.
Honda’s contract at CSKA runs until December of this year, and Milan were hoping to secure the player in January if a summer move was out of the question.
The Italian club continue to harbour hopes the latter will be possible, but CSKA are facing their own attacking crisis, especially now that Vagner Love has moved to China.
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However, Galliani is not willing to lay down his weapons just yet, telling Gazzetta dello Sport: "We’ll try until the last day for the delivery of the Champions League squad list."
CSKA are understood to be facing injuries to key members, and with Love now at Chinese Super League club Shandong Luneng Taishan, Honda remains one of the only star assets up front.
As Russian champions, CSKA are set for Champions League football themselves, which will certainly have Honda part of the plan.
The Japan international is understood to have held talks with CSKA’s leadership, but both have been steadfast in their refusal to allow him to leave now.
But Galliani added: "If we fail to immediately take Honda to Milan we will not make any drama. There’s going to be a January move.
"But if the deal goes ahead [for the summer], our stance is that we will go on until the last day possible."
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