AC Milan fans held their breath Monday as talks on the possible transfer of club idol Kaka to Manchester City appeared to be heading for the wire.
There was still no official word out of Kaka's camp although some reports said the Brazil midfielder was reluctant to leave Milan for Manchester, while the club was in two minds.
Kaka's father and agent Bosco Leite arrived in Milan Monday to discuss the record-breaking bid with his son.
According to the British press, Manchester City officials and an emissary from club owner Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan of Abu Dhabi were also in Milan.
Milan CEO Adriano Galliani met club owner Silvio Berlusconi for an hour and a half but dodged reporters as he left Berlusconi's villa outside the city.
Fans left dozens of letters at Kaka's Milan apartment block Monday morning.
''Ours was a page long. We told him with all our hearts what he means to us and begged him to stay,'' Niccolo', 20, told reporters.
Later in the day, supporters started gathering outside the Milan HQ for a protest police fear could turn nasty.
The bid is reportedly in the region of 100 million euros, dwarfing the 76 million euros paid by Real Madrid to Juventus for Zinedine Zidane in 2001.
Media have reported that Kaka would also be offered a signing-on 'gift' of 10 million euros plus weekly wages of around 500,000 euros.
Amid rumours that Real Madrid were also preparing a last-ditch offer for a player they have repeatedly sought, Italy coach Marcello Lippi and past Milan greats like midfielder Demetrio Albertini advised Kaka to stay at the club for the good of his career.
Former Milan and Italy coach Arrigo Sacchi said: ''If they think they should sell Kaka to get three or four top-class players to rebuild the squad, they're dead wrong''
''There's only one Kaka''.
Singer Eros Ramazzotti, who lives in the same luxury block as Kaka, told reporters: ''He should stay at Milan because he can win things here and the fans love him''.
Milan have consistently rejected approaches - from Chelsea as well as Real - for the 26-year-old attacking midfielder, who was both European Footballer of the Year and FIFA World Player of the Year in 2007.
Kaka joined Milan from Sao Paulo for 8.5 million euros in 2003 and has won a Serie A title, a Champions League and a Club World Cup with Silvio Berlusconi's club.
He has played for Milan 171 times, scoring 62 goals.
He has 62 caps and 23 goals for his country.
