Che stand firm on Mendi price

Valencia chairman Pedro Cortes is refusing to listen to any offers for skipper Gaizka Mendieta that don’t meet the buy-out fee of $US 54million.

Cortes met with Real Madrid chairman Florentino Perez in the Spanish capital on Tuesday to discuss the opertaion to bring Mendi to the Bernabeu for Real's centenary year. But once again, Real were told that the huge buy-out fee was not negotiable.

However, Cortes seemed to have had second thoughts later on in the day, telling radio station Cadena SER's 'El Laguero' programme: "In football, anything is possible."
Valencia have come to terms with the fact that they will be losing Mendieta this summer but would hate to think that the club's idol would be joining their rivals, Real Madrid.

Still fresh in the memories of Valencia fans is the time when Real poached their star striker Predrag Mijatovic, who went on to glory with the Merengues hitting the winning goal in the 1998 Champion's League final against Juventus.

Lazio are also well-placed to land Mendieta this summer, but they too will need to cough up the player's buy-out fee.