Nesta deal back on

Real Madrid have turned their attention once again to Lazio central defender Alessandro Nesta, and may be about to make a huge bid.

The Spanish champions made their first enquiries about Nesta just over two months ago. Lazio replied that any interested club would need to find $US 50m if they seriously wanted to take Nesta, the club's idol, away from Rome.

Real rejected the deal as being too expensive at the time, but things have changed in recent weeks and The Blancos are now considering paying the full amount for the talented defender.

Whether Lazio chairman Sergio Cragnotti will agree to let Nesta go is another matter. The player seems keen to stay on at Lazio but Real may try one last roll of the dice in a bid to persuade him to join their all-star eleven.

Real Madrid officials will travel to Italy as soon as the Scudetto has been decided, to meet with Cragnotti and also attempt to finalise the deal to bring Juventus' Zinedine Zidane to the Bernabeu for the new season.

Real have more or less discarded the option to sign Parma's Lilian Thuram, as they consider the high transfer fee, $US 43m, plus the player's age, 29, not to be economical.