Real Madrid seek Hierro replacement
Real Madrid coach Vicente Del Bosque has stated that the team’s most important priority is to replace defender Fernando Hierro, with Lazio man Alessandro Nesta being the latest name to be linked with a move to the Bernabeu.
Real Madrid coach Vicente Del Bosque has stated that the team’s most important priority is to replace defender Fernando Hierro, with Lazio man Alessandro Nesta being the latest name to be linked with a move to the Bernabeu.
Hierro, who will be out of contract next season, joined Real in 1989 and has been an integral part of the side since, scoring over 100 goals during his tenure at the Spanish giants and remaining a dominant force in the defensive third of the field.
Del Bosque said of the defender, "Hierro's departure will be one of the most noticeable events in the club's history and everybody's eyes will be on his successor. There are six or seven top defenders in Europe and Real should aim to have at least one of them."
Real are reportedly interested in Lazio defender Alessandro Nesta. This interest came after Lazio president, Sergio Cragnotti, said that he was considering selling the Italian international as part of the deal to bring in midfielder Gaizka Mendieta.
Nesta has not been sold since Mendieta made his way to Rome and has even signed a new contract deal, reported to be a five-year, $17 million deal.
Lazio has since released a statement to the effect that Nesta is not for sale. But a hands-off warning has never stopped Real from going after a player they want. Case in point: Luis Figo.
A Lazio spokesman responded by saying: "We have never thought about selling Nesta but in Sergio Cragnotti's football philosophy, there are no untransferable players. Yet with Nesta's case, Real Madrid should have to come and sit with at least $36 million in exchange."
The main thing to keep in mind is that if Real president Florentino Perez has decided that he wants Nesta, he should be taken seriously.
In just a year in the position as Real president, Perez has broken world club transfer records twice and managed to wipe the club’s debt out.
Perez then sold Real’s training grounds to the Spanish government for almost $200 million, managing to wipe out Real’s debts in one pen-stroke.
He signed Luis Figo from archrivals Barcelona for a then-record $56 million and just recently signed French international Zinedine Zidane in a new record signing of $68 million.