The Ricketts family, owner of the Major League baseball team Chicago Cubs, expressed interest on Friday in acquiring a controlling stake in Italian top-rank football club AC Milan. The news came as two sources with knowledge of the matter told Reuters that the Italian club's Chinese majority shareholder had failed to meet a deadline on Friday for a 32 million euro ($37 million) payment due to the team.

"The entire family and the family's financial resources are involved in this matter," the Ricketts said in a statement. "The Ricketts family brought a championship to the Chicago Cubs through long-term investment and being great stewards of the team ... They would bring this same approach to AC Milan," they added.