Salas deal hits rocky ground
Real Madrid's move to sign Lazio's Marcelo Salas next month appears to have hit a snag because of the player's wage demands.
Real Madrid's move to sign Lazio's Marcelo Salas next month appears to have hit a snag because of the player's wage demands.
The player's agent, Mescardi Hidalgo, was in Madrid on Monday to finalize negotiations with Real, but the deal came unstuck when the subject of the player's salary was raised.
Salas earns close to £4million ($US 6m) per season at Lazio - a price that the Spanish champions are refusing to meet.
Added to which, Lazio want £19million ($US 27.5m) for the Chilean, while Real are bargaining to land the player for a figure of nearer £11million ($US 16.5m).
Salas is eager to join Real but with the club chasing two top names - Zidane and Nesta - it looks unlikely that they will be disposed to enroll yet another top earner.
The talks are set to continue during the next few days with a final verdict due by the end of the week.