Salas nears £17m Real dream

Chile striker Marcelo Salas has given his strongest hint yet that he will complete a £17 million move from Lazio to Real Madrid this summer. "My dream is to score some important goals to help Real win the Champions' League," he said on Thursday.

But the forward, who admitted that he would only leave Lazio if he received an offer from Real Madrid, went on to say that he had still not signed a contract with the Spanish champions.

"I haven't signed anything yet," he said, "though of course I would be proud to play for Real. It would be a real challenge for me."

"Once the negotiations are complete, I will be really happy. But for now we must remain careful, because, I repeat, nothing has been finalised yet."

"But Real are a team full of great stars: and if Zinedine Zidane joins the club, they would become unbeatable."

Salas has struggled to hold down a regular place at Lazio and the club tried to sell him to Parma last season. Salas, though, refused to leave. With Real, he promises, it would be different.

Bernabeu sports director Jorge Valdano revealed last month that signing a centre-forward to keep injury-prone Fernando Morientes on his toes was a priority - and Salas has long been a target of the Spanish champions.

"We want to get our No 9 back, but to do that he has to have some competition," Valdano said. "We're going to sign a forward to give Morientes competition for his place."

The player was close to signing for Real last year. In September, he stopped off in Madrid on his way back to Rome from Chile to have talks with Valdano.

Coach Vicente Del Bosque admitted then: "Salas is a player anyone would like in their team. He has had great seasons in Europe and for sure, anyone would like him in their team."