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Inter loan out Brazilian striker to bitter rivals

ROME (AFP) - Serie A's runaway leaders Inter Milan permitted experienced Brazilian striker Mancini to move on loan to bitter city rivals AC Milan on Monday with an option to buy him outright.

The 29-year-old has failed to break into the Inter first team since arriving from AS Roma in the summer of 2008 and has appeared only seven times for the Italian champions this season all as a substitute at the end of the matches.

Mancini, who was also strongly courted by French giants Marseille, came to Inter on the back of several impressive seasons at Roma where they had twice finished runners-up behind Inter in the title race and reached the last eight of the Champions League on two occasions.

Mancini will join several compatriots at AC - who are second in the league table eight points behind Inter - such as goalkeeper Dida, central defender Thiago Silva, strikers Ronaldinho and Alexandre Pato, as well as coach Leonardo.