Brazil's Dede on A C Milan radar

Rio de Janeiro (Brazil), June 5 (Xinhua-ANI): Brazilian defender Dede is reportedly being courted by Italian Serie A giant A C Milan.

The club has identified the Vasco da Gama centre-back as an ideal replacement for countryman Thiago Silva, who is tipped to join Barcelona, Globoesporte reported on Tuesday.

The Rossoneri are understood to be unperturbed by Dede's inability to overcome a bone edema in his left leg that threatens to rule him out of Brazil's London Olympic squad.

The newspaper cited Sweden's Andreas Granqvist (Genoa), Colombia's Cristian Zapata (Villarreal) and Germany's Benedikt Howedes (Schalke 04) as other Milan targets for the centre-back role.

Speculation about Silva's move to the Camp Nou intensified after Milan vice-president Adriano Galliani reportedly met with Barcelona officials on Sunday. (Xinhua-ANI)