Football: Milan prepare pounds 8.5m bid for Ravanelli

The twin towers may be just two days distant on the horizon, but Middlesbrough's relegated foreign legion are already looking beyond - to escape routes from the Nationwide League.

It emerged yesterday that Milan are prepared to bid pounds 8.5m to take Fabrizio Ravanelli back to Serie A, provided Fabio Capello returns to replace Arrigo Sacchi as coach after seeing Real Madrid through their season. Capello tried to sign Ravanelli for Real earlier this season.

Juninho, also destined to leave the Riverside, suggested yesterday that his imminent departure would not necessarily take him out of English football - a view that seems certain to interest one of his admirers, the Manchester United manager, Alex Ferguson. Asked if he would be interested in joining another English club, Juninho replied: "Yeah! I have adapted to English football. I like the way the English play. It's a very fast game, attack all the time. I think it has made me a better, more complete player."

Juninho was yesterday left out of Brazil's summer squad, including the four-nation tournament in France in which England also play. His omission suggests that Juninho - a regular for the last two years - has lost his battle with the Palmeiras midfielder Djalminha for an attacking midfield place. "This doesn't mean that he is not an excellent player," Mario Zagallo, the Brazil coach, said of Juninho. "He is not out of contention for future selections."