AC Milan have made Sevilla‘s Frederic Kanoute the player that they want to lead their front line next season and are preparing to make a bid for the striker in the summer, according to a report in AS.

The Italian club’s vice-president, Adriano Galliani, has pinpointed the Mali international after drawing up a list of centre-forwards for the club to look at.

Kanoute was also on the agenda last summer when the Rossoneri sold Alberto Gilardino but a decision was taken to play Alexandre Pato this term.

Sevilla are unlikely to take the approach well because president Jose Maria del Nido is hoping to persuade the former West Ham United and Tottenham Hotspur forward to sign a new deal.

The 31-year-old has a contract at the Sanchez Pizjuan until 2010 but, if the player stalls on talks before the end of this season, the Andalusian outfit may well opt to cash in on him.

Age will be no barrier as Milan already have 15 players on their books older than Kanoute and it could come down to whether the player himself prefers Italy or a return to England.

Several Premier League teams are also said to be monitoring his situation and would make their interest known if Milan make a move.

Should a transfer for Kanoute fall through, there are several other players on Milan’s shopping list, according to AS. Emanuel Adebayor, Didier Drogba and Samuel Eto’o are all reported to be on the Italian club’s agenda, though it is likely that all of these players would be judged as too expensive.

The last name mentioned is more realistic. The Italian club are said to be interested in Paris Saint-Germain’s lofty goal scorer, Guillaume Hoarau, who has made a big impression in his first season in Ligue 1.

Lucas Brown, Goal