Helguera talks hit rocky ground

Negotiations to renew midfielder Ivan Helguera's contract have come to a halt and Zinedine Zidane's arrival at the Bernabeu is to blame.

Helguera's agent, his uncle Juanjo Helguera, was at the club's offices on Thursday discussing Ivan's future at the Bernabeu with Real's sports manager Jorge Valdano.

The 26-year-old's contract with Real Madrid is due to expire in 2004 and the Spanish champions are keen to hang on to the star even though his place in the starting line-up seems to have been lost to Zidane.

Helguera is apparently annoyed that the technical staff seem prepared to let him fester on the bench next term, especially when you consider he had a brilliant season just gone. Another sore point is Helguera's modest annual salary of $US 1m, which is considerably less than top earners such as Roberto Carlos, Steve McManaman, Raul, Luis Figo and Zidane.

The player's contract renewal process is in grave danger of collapsing and he may decide to entertain offers from abroad - Barcelona, Manchester United and Juventus have all declared their admiration for the former Roma and Espanyol star.