ST. PETERSBURG, Aug. 25 (Xinhua) -- Italian football powerhouse AC Milan has announced that it is now willing to offer up to 30 million euros for Zenit St. Petersburg midfielder Axel Witsel, local media in Russia's northern capital today reported.

The news comes following several smaller offers from the Italian club. Russian Premier League champions Zenit have declared that they will not release the 26-year-old Witsel for less than 35 million euros.

Witsel has publicly declared his intention to leave the Russian club at the end of his contract in 2017. Zenit are reported to be keen to sell the Belgian international before the expiry of his contract in a bid to recover the costs of his acquisition from Portuguese club Benfica in 2012.

Along with more than 100 appearances for Russian champions Zenit, Witsel has also won 59 caps for Belgium, including several appearances during the country's 2014 FIFA World Cup campaign in Brazil, which ended in a quarter-final loss at the hands of Argentina.