Chapter Three: Money Doesn't Buy You Everything

So begins another chapter in the epic novel that started its once upon a time way back in January, when the Eastlands boys club made an audacious bid of £100million for the boy wonder, Kaka. Manchester City proved to the football world that money is no object when they flexed their muscles with the bid, but to our amazement Kaka turned down the £500,000 a week offer.

I remember at the time hoping that the 27 year old would turn down the offer and stay true to the main reason he got involved in football in the first place. The moment it was announced that Kaka would stay at AC Milan, my respect for the midfielder immediately grew as I realised that some footballers do still play for pride and are not just part of a growing football auction.

Carlo Ancelotti’s appointment at Chelsea sparked rumours that Kaka would follow suit and join his former AC manager to Stanford Bridge in the summer, but it was the appointment of Florentino Perez, his second stint at Real Madrid, that attracted Kaka’s attention.

During his previous reign, which many remember as the famous Galacticos era, Perez didn’t let any price tag get in the way of his expensive shopping wish list, as the likes of Ronaldo (£23.2million), David Beckham (£24.5million), Luis Figo (£37million) and current world transfer record holder Zinedine Zidane (£45.6million) all came to the Bernabeu.

Although the former FIFA World Player of the Year is still under contract at the San Siro until 2013 - since when has that ever mattered to a footballer? - and had shown no interest in leaving…until now.

Today it was announced that the midfielder had taken a medical a head of Brazil’s clash with Paraguay, at the request of Real Madrid, which confirms that Kaka will be joining the Spanish side for a reported £56million, a figure that will become the largest since Zidane joined Madrid in 2001.

In a way I’m glad that Kaka is moving to one of the world’s greatest clubs, even if it does take them further into debt, because he deserves to play alongside the likes of Raul and Van der Vaart at one of football‘s greatest arenas.

Manchester City’s ambition of a top four finish next season surely couldn’t of been that tempting or was it that Kaka is a realistic man? Proving that money doesn’t buy you everything, City will now have to come up with a ‘Dick Dastardly’ method of sabotaging this already sealed deal