By IANS
Rio de Janeiro : Brazilian football club Fluminense will make a major financial effort to sign Argentine striker Juan Roman Riquelme, but there is a problem because his current club, Spain’s Villarreal, is opposed to any such move, reports Xinhua quoting a Fluminense spokesman.
Fluminense’s head of football Claudio Ibrahim Vaz Leal, better known by his nickname Branco, told local channel SportTV Wednesday that while Riquelme is a very expensive player by Brazilian standards, he was confident that it was possible to sign him.
“There is a chance of signing him and while I am around we will fight for it. It is not easy, because it is a very expensive investment. However, if we can manage to carry it out, it will be worth it,” Branco said.
“The problem is entirely with Villarreal,” Branco added. “Even the salary issues can be worked out.”
Riquelme wears the coveted number 10 shirt for his Spanish club. However, Villarreal coach Manuel Pellegrini, a Chilean, has barred the Argentine from playing because of personal differences, although the striker still trains with his team-mates.
Riquelme continues to play for his national team and was an outstanding player during the first two matches in the South American qualification matches for the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa.