If everything is in place, AC Milan defender Cristian Zaccardo is set to ply his trade with Indian Super League side FC Pune City in the upcoming edition of the lucrative football league.

Italian news website Forza Italian Football has quoted Sky Italia as saying that the 2006 FIFA World Cup winner with Italy has been offered a four-month contract by the ISL side with a fee in the region of €250,000 (around ₹1.75crore).

The report has also stated that the former Bundesliga winner with Wolfsburg is himself interested in joining the Pune-based ISL side.

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The 33-year-old Zaccardo is a versatile defender, capable of playing as a fullback as well as a defensive midfielder, although his preferred position is at centre-back.

Although the player enjoyed the best of his playing days with Italian outfits Palermo and Parma, Zaccardo couldn't quite make a mark once he moved to Milan in January 2013.

He made just three appearances for the Serie A giants last season, while getting on the scoresheet once. His goal – incidentally also his first in a Milan shirt - came against his former side Parma in February this year.

He has 21 goals from 354 Serie A appearances.

Zaccardo, however, is overshadowed in the Milan roster by the likes of Philippe Mexes, Cristian Zapata, Ignazio Abate, and others. It is also reported that the new Milan coach Sinisa Mihajlovic has not put Zaccardo in his plans for the upcoming season.

And this is one of the reasons why the 33-year-old defender is looking for a move to a club where he can get playing time and also be able to share some of his experience. The ISL is one of the potential destinations zeroed in by him.

With the presence of Serie A veteran and former Juventus and Fiorentina striker Adrian Mutu already in the FC Pune roster this year, it will be interesting to see how the duo link up.

Pune's English coach David Platt has also  played for Juventus and Sampdoria in his career and he will welcome the presence of  players who have experience in the Italian league.