Rivaldo became a free agent after cancelling his contract with Barcelona last week and signed a three-year contract with Milan at the weekend worth EUR4 million ($4m) net each season.
The move is thought to stem from Rivaldo's wish to move on following the re-appointment of Louis Van Gaal as Barcelona manager.
But the non-fee basis of the deal demonstrates the weakness of Barcelona's bargaining position in regard to a player on reported wages of $6m (EUR6m) a year and whose contract with the Spanish club ran out in June 2003.
In fact, a recent survey in a Spanish newspaper suggested that spending among Spanish clubs is down around 60 percent from last year, with only Atletico Madrid and Deportivo Coruna laying out significant sums.
For more on Spanish football's uncertain financial future, see the features section of sportbusiness.com
Brazilian World Cup winner Rivaldo's move from Barcelona to Italian club AC Milan underlines the depressed player transfer market in Spain, home to the glamorous Primera Liga.
