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When it comes to the A list, there is no such thing as a swoop. Transfers at the highest end of the market are protracted affairs, regardless of whether the player expresses a desire to move (witness Cristiano Ronaldo, right) or whether he keeps schtum throughout the process (as Zinédine Zidane did, for months, before his world-record £48 million move from Juventus to Real Madrid in 2001).

It is not surprising, therefore, that Chelsea have laid the groundwork to move decisively for Kaká next summer. Along with Ronaldo, the Manchester United star, and Lionel Messi, the Barcelona forward, he is among the world's top three players. Regardless of the fee, which may or may not ultimately be agreed (and it is a safe bet that, if Chelsea pull it off, Zidane's record will be eclipsed), it would be the biggest transfer since 2002, when the “other” Ronaldo joined Real Madrid.

At 26, Kaká is in the prime of his career. He has won the Champions League with AC Milan and the World Cup with Brazil, plus a gaggle of individual honours. He is blessed with a rare combination of size and ability and his game is a seamless blend of South American flair and European directness.

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But it is not only his footballing skills that make him attractive. Commercially, he may not be in David Beckham's league (then again, who is?), but his good looks and clean-cut image (he is a bright, middle-class man who speaks five languages; a committed Christian, he preserved his virginity until his wedding night) make him a charismatic counterweight to the edgier Cristiano Ronaldo.

For a club such as Chelsea, Kaká's wholesome persona and ability to unlock the South American market (he would become Chelsea's first truly world-class Brazilian, with apologies to Alex and Emerson Thome) would be a big boost off the pitch.

Despite Milan's claims to the contrary, there is a price at which selling Kaká would make sense for the Italian club as well. Juventus famously used the Zidane fee to sign Gianluigi Buffon and Lilian Thuram and went on to win four league titles in the next five years - quite a turn around after finishing empty-handed in the previous three seasons with Zidane in the team.

The potential sales of Kaká and Cristano Ronaldo next summer would mark a reversal in a trend of transfer fees at the highest end declining, even as club revenues (particularly from television rights, both domestic and overseas) continue to increase dramatically. Indeed, of the nine £30 million-plus transfers in the history of the game, only one has occurred in the past five years (Andriy Shevchenko's ill-fated move from Milan to Chelsea in 2006).

But perhaps times have changed. Perhaps the marginal impact of a superstar today is perceived to be far greater than it has been in recent years, not least because the globalised pie has grown and, at the highest levels, image rights are far more valuable than at any time in the past. After six years of holding back, the big clubs look ready to pull the trigger on the kinds of mega-deals that thus far have existed only in Football Manager.