It would seem that nothing in Italy is ever simple. On the face of it AC Milan's courting of World Player of the Year Fabio Cannavaro, currently with Real Madrid, appears a simple ploy to rescue the out of form Italian defender from Spain whilst strengthening the Rossoneri in one swoop.
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That is not the case. Or at least that's what the conspiracy loving Italian media, and lets face it we all love a twisted plot, would have us believe. Milan are only chasing Cannavaro so that they can buy Juventus goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon. Confused? Let me explain.
Two-years ago Milan agreed to send Christian Abbiati on-loan to Turin to cover for the then-injured goalkeeper Buffon, during negotiations the two clubs agreed to a 'pact' that would give Milan first option on the Bianconeri's top-rated keeper. However, despite Juve's relegation to Serie B last summer the Turin club managed to retain the services of the 29-year-old and their 'pact' fizzled out of existence.
Milan president Silvio Berlusconi, a man used to getting his own way as both media mogul and former Italian Prime Minister, has subsequently told his directors Adriano Galliani and Ariedo Braida that he still wants Gigi to play for him at the San Siro - whatever the cost.
By bidding for Cannavaro, who signed for Madrid from relegated Juve in the summer, Milan are hoping to force his former club, whose remaining stars have demanded the purchase of marquee players upon their imminent return to Serie A, into a bidding war for the Juve fans' favourite. Milan will then offer to withdraw their interest in Cannavaro if Juve allow them to open talks with Buffon.
The Azzurri goalkeeper has already stated he won't open negotiations to renew his contract with Juve until promotion from Serie B is secured and Milan sense this is their opportunity to snap up the World Cup winner.
It's a plan that's so obvious when you think about it. Simplicity is the key, or should that be complexity?
The one glaring variable that seems to have been overlooked in the master plan is Real Madrid's role in all this. Plus Cannavaro's desire to leave the crumbling empire that was once saddled with the sobriquet Los Galacticos, and his desire is slowly becoming clear.
It would appear that even a defender capable of captaining his country to an unlikely World Cup victory against the back-drop of Serie A's high profile match-fixing scandal is incapable of taming the hoodoo that blights Real Madrid's rear-guard, and has kiboshed the careers of many before him.
Since Vicente Del Bosque was unfathomably axed following Primera Division and Champions League success in 2003 Real Madrid have failed to win a single trophy of note and have become the case study for a 'club in crisis' - at least on a G14 level. This season Los Blancos stuttering form has resulted in Copa Del Rey humiliation, Champions League elimantion and La Liga mediocrity as they languish in fourth place, six points behind league leaders Sevilla and clinging on to a Champions League qualifying place ahead of Real Zaragoza.
Wednesday's European defeat to Bayern Munich firmly affixed the 'dead man walking' tag to coach Fabio Capello and with the man who brought Cannavaro to the Bernabeu almost certain to get the boot, the Italy defender's odds of beating a hasty exit have also dropped substantially. Even prior to the Bayern Munich defeat Cannavaro was making negative noises about remaining in Madrid, or at least keeping his options open.
'At the end of the present campaign I will sit down with the club officials and serenely discuss the situation,' stated the Golden Ball winner. 'Only then will I decide on what to do.'
But as the future for the Merengues began to look increasingly bleak and un silverware laden Cannavaro upped the ante: 'I have to admit that I'm pleased to read that I'm of interest to Italian clubs and that includes Juventus.
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'I want to stay here, but I know that when you fail in a season at the age of 33 then a club looks around.'
Nobody can really blame Cannavaro for planning an exit strategy, Madrid has proved the graveyard for many highly-rated defenders and it is no coincidence that Madrid's defensive woe began when Fernando Hierro, probably the last defender to actually enhance his reputation in the all white strip, departed with Del Bosque in 2003.
Roberto Carlos, once lauded as the best left-back in the world, has seen his star wane, as has that of Hierro's former defensive lynchpin Ivan Helguera. Once one half of a partnership that dominated Europe he is now a diminishing remnant of a former glory.
Since Del Bosque's exit, consecutive managers have attempted to address Madrid's evil eye but none have succeeded. Carlos Queiroz could only watch as the powers in the Madrid boardroom dispensed with Spain international Ivan Campo, and must have gaped in horror as defensive lynchpin Claude Makelele joined Chelsea for £16million and signalled the end of sanity at Real.
Possibly realising the error of their ways Real Madrid spent £17million on established Roma defender Walter Samuel and £13.4m on Newcastle defender Jonathan Woodgate to begin the restructure. But neither Mariano Garcia Remon, the promoted assistant to Jose Antonio Camacho during his ill fated one month reign, nor former Brazil boss Vanderlei Luxemburgo could coax the best out of either defender and both departed at a lower ebb than when they joined.
Samuel in particular suffered a torrid season in Madrid first eleven, where the Argentina international amassed 15 yellow cards and two reds, and headed to Inter Milan to rediscover his best form at Serie A's runaway leaders.
Woodgate suffered a horrific time with injuries, but when finally fit enough to make his debut he scored an own-goal and was sent off. Although Real's defence did improve when he played, albeit sporadically, the centre-back is now on-loan at home-town club Middlesbrough, winning rave reviews and a recall to the England national team.
Capello was hired to bring some tactical and defensive cohesion to a porous Madrid side and despite presiding over the second best defence in La Liga this season his style grates with the demands of Madridistas. The Italian coach adapted a previously fluent midfield to include two defensive players he insisted on signing, Emerson from Juventus and Mahamadou Diarra from Lyon, yet despite this protection for fellow new boy Cannavaro the defensive blunders characteristic of Madrid hit his game.
After being given the run around by Atletico whippersnappers Fernando Torres and Sergio Aguero in the Madrid derby, the World Player of the Year admitted his form, like that of many of his predecessors, was plummeting.
'I've never made so many mistakes in my career,' Cannavaro said. 'But I'm working hard on getting back to being the player I was at Juventus and the World Cup, I'm sure I'll succeed.'
Succeed he will, but probably not in Madrid.
If you have any thoughts you can email Dominic Raynor.
