Brazil`s Dede on A C Milan radar

Rio de Janeiro (Brazil) : 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, reports said. 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. ANI