Tellez hopes to leave Alaves for Real
Alaves coach Mane is facing the prospect of having to rebuild his side over the summer after defender Oscar Tellez insisted that he will also leave the Uefa Cup finalists. "I want to keep on growing as a player and I need to move to a bigger team," Tellez said.
Alaves coach Mane is facing the prospect of having to rebuild his side over the summer after defender Oscar Tellez insisted that he will also leave the Uefa Cup finalists. "I want to keep on growing as a player and I need to move to a bigger team," Tellez said.
"I have already said this and I will repeat it thousands of times," the defender, who hopes to join Real Madrid, added. "I hope Alaves will understand."
Mane led the Basque underdogs to the Uefa Cup final where his side were unlucky 5-4 losers against Liverpool. The coach has already extended his contract with the club, but has been unable to convince his star players to follow suit.
Both striker Javi Moreno and Romania international defender Cosmin Contra joined AC Milan just two weeks after the Uefa Cup final, but Tellez, 26, would prefer to stay in Spain.
"If I sign for Real Madrid I would go crazy and all my family as well," he said. "Real has always been the team I love. It would be brilliant to join them."
Tellez, a hard-working centre-back, is in training with the Spain squad ahead of the World Cup qualifier against Bosnia on Saturday.
He was given his first international call-up in March 2001 for the World Cup qualifier against Liechtenstein and a friendly against France.
Mane turned down an approach from Valencia earlier this season and his decision prompted midfielder Jordi Cruyff to remain at the club.
Now Alaves' veteran captain Antonio Karmona is hoping that the coach will be given the necessary funds to rebuild the squad.
"It was quite clear that after such a successful season other teams would try and sign our players," Karmona said. "We can't do anything about that – it is just the way that football works."
"Javi Moreno and Cosmin Contra played excellently this season and have been sold so that Alaves can remain financially secure and also develop the side for the future.
"Hopefully we can use the money to bring in some players who will help us stay in the first division," he added.
Alaves have been linked with Dinamo Bucharest striker Adrian Mihalcea as Mane steps up his search for Moreno's replacement.