Valdano: Real Madrid were close to signing Roma's Totti

Former Real Madrid sports director Jorge Valdano has revealed how close they came to signing AS Roma captain Francesco Totti over the summer.

"Totti was very near to being a galactico of Real Madrid, that's correct," Valdano told La Reppublica.

"Everyone knows that Real always aims at the great players. But I suppose his European Championships did not help him to come to Madrid."

Valdano was asked what he thought of Totti now: "He was born to play soccer, a natural talent that now seems to be confused. He seems to have lost his emotional balance."