HANGZHOU, China, April 28 -- The owner of Chinese e-commerce giants Alibaba on Thursday denied reports that he is in talks with Italian Serie A club AC Milan over a possible takeover.

According to Wednesday's reports by Italian media, Ma has offered 400 million euros (around 450 million US dollars) for a 70 percent stake in AC Milan and its club owner Silvio Berlusconi is taking it seriously.

But Alibaba chairman Jack Ma responded on Thursday by posting a joke on Weibo, the Chinese version of Twitter.

"Is AC Milan in the Italian city of Milan? I heard that Mike Tayson of the Lakers recently traveled to Milan, but I am not sure if it is AC Milan. Now Yao Ming will get in trouble," Ma wrote with a sense of humor.

Ma, who founded Alibaba in the 1990s, is also the joint owner of Chinese soccer club Guangzhou Evergrande.