Milan announce collapse of Andriy Shevchenko move

Chelsea striker Andriy Shevchenko’s return to AC Milan looks to be off after the clubs failed to agree terms on the deal. It had been expected that the 31-year-old Ukrainian, who has had a disappointing two-year spell at Stamford Bridge, would return to the San Siro on a season long loan deal with a view to a permanent move at the end of the season. Reports in the Italian press suggested the move was imminent and earlier this week Milan director Silvano Ramaccioni had said: "We are close to the end of the deal and I hope these little things that have to be fulfilled are done soon." But Milan chief executive Adriano Galliani has now revealed: "Talks are deadlocked at the moment.Milan were interested in taking the player on loan with the right to buy but Chelsea said they wanted a full sale, therefore negotiations are over." One player who does look like he is on the move, however, is Aston Villa midfielder Shaun Maloney who is poised for a return to Celtic. He has been in Glasgow for talks with the SPL champions having failed to really establish himself at Villa Park following his £1million move south in January 2007. He has been persistently linked with a move back to Celtic Park and the club’s players would be delighted to see him return. Paul Hartley said: “I played with Shaun at international level and I know what he can bring to the team. We have five or six Scottish internationals in the Celtic team already, so he will be another good addition “I'm sure if Shaun signs he will relish the chance to return. We are always looking to improve and he is another good player. We have a good squad as it is now and we know Shaun can play in a number of positions. He had a good spell at Celtic the first time, so I'm sure he will do well again." While Maloney gets set to move out of the Premier League, Belgian international defender Vincent Kompany looks likely to join its ranks after his club Hamburg revealed they have agreed a deal with Manchester City. The 22-year-old, who already has 23 international caps to his credit, is regarded as one of the best central defenders in Europe and his signing would be a welcome boost for City fans who have seen their club endure a troubled start to the season, on and off the pitch, most notably with owner Thaksin Shinawatra facing corruption charges in his native Thailand. Hughes has already signed Brazilian striker Jo and former Chelsea defender Tal Ben Haim but has been frustrated in his recent attempts to add to his squad. City have so far refused to confirm the deal but Hamburg president Bernd Hoffmann claims the transfer of Kompany hinges only on the player passing a medical at City. Hoffmann said: "We received an enquiry from Manchester asking whether Vince could imagine moving immediately and, depending on the medical examination, we quickly agreed to this transfer."And finally, it appears that Liverpool manager Rafael Benitez and chief executive Rick Parry have patched up their differences after clear-the-air talks at Anfield. Reports have been rife in recent weeks that the pair had fallen out over the club’s transfer policy, with Benitez particularly frustrated at his failure to land Aston Villa’s Gareth Barry. He felt he was not receiving enough boardroom support in his efforts to build a squad capable of challenging in both the Premier League and Champions League, but appears now to have put those frustrations behind him. He said: "Talks have taken place. It was a positive discussion and we will now move forward together.” Parry, meanwhile, told the club's website: "I can confirm we had a friendly and positive meeting and we're moving forward."