Real eye Bayer's Placente
Spanish champions Real Madrid are eyeing Bayer Leverkusen's Argentine winger Diego Placente but a deal for the player seems unlikely.
Spanish champions Real Madrid are eyeing Bayer Leverkusen's Argentine winger Diego Placente but a deal for the player seems unlikely.
Real's sporting director Jorge Valdano confirmed their interest in the 24-year-old to Spanish sports daily Marca.
"Placente is considered as being able to add to Roberto Carlos on the left wing. Due to the amount of games in the Spanish League and the Champions League we are forced to have two players in each position," revealed Valdano. Real have $US 80m (£58.2m) for new transfers this summer.
Placente is rumoured to have told his fellow countryman Valdano that he will consider a move to the Spanish capital.
It is not known how much Real would have to pay for Placente but a deal is not on the cards, with Bayer's managing director Wolfgang Holhäuser saying: "We will not consider selling Placente at all. We believe he's the successor of Ze Roberto on the left wing."
Brazilian international Ze Roberto is a target for Spanish side Deportivo La Coruna and Italian clubs Fiorentina and Lazio.
Placente arrived at Bayer last December from Argentine side River Plate for $US 7m (£5.1m) and is under contract until 2005. So far he has made 12 Bundesliga appearances for the club.