Barcelona still hope to sell out-of-favour Swedish striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic to Milan despite denials by his agent, Spanish sports newspapers said yesterday.

They said a meeting to discuss the transfer is scheduled for today in Barcelona between the club’s chairman, Sandro Rosell, and Milan’s deputy chairman, Adriano Galliani.

The player’s agent, Mino Raiola, said on Monday it was “99.9 per cent” certain that he would stay in Spain.

But Barca coach Pep Guardiola appears keen to offload the 1.95-metre (6 ft, 5 in) forward, the sports daily Marca said.

He left him out of the starting line-up for the Spanish Super Cup against Sevilla at the weekend in favour of David Villa, who was signed in May and who shone at the World Cup.

Catalan newspapers Sport and Mundo Deportivo said the sale looked likely despite Milan’s reluctance to pay the €12 million a year the 28-year-old receives at Barca.

Any deal could also involve the transfer to Barcelona of Milan striker Marco Borriello, the newspapers said.

Ibrahimovic was transferred from Inter in July last year in a deal that saw Cameroon striker Samuel Eto’o move the other way and the Italian side receive €46 million.

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