Real Madrid interested in Riquelme (11 Jan 2006 18:24 GMT)
Real Madrid have their eye on Villarreal's Argentine playmaker Juan Roman Riquelme as an eventual replacement for the ageing Zinedine Zidane, media reports said.
According to AS daily, who quoted Riquelme as saying he was happy to learn of Real's interest, Real are looking for a replacement for French star Zidane.
"It makes me happy to hear of the interest of Real Madrid," said Riquelme. "I'm very happy that a club like Madrid is interested in me. We are speaking of a great club and it is always flattering they pay attention to you, because that means I must be doing good things at Villarreal."
Riquelme has been on loan from Barcelona for the past two years at Villarreal, whom he helped into the Champions League this season - they will face Glasgow Rangers in the last 16 - and insisted that he would be happy to change allegiance with his heart as a fan belonging only to Boca Juniors.
"I said that when I signed for Barcelona, I'm not just saying it now to curry favour with the people at Madrid," said the star, who rejected any idea that he could be a new 'galactico.'
"I don't like the word galactico. I am just a normal footballer," he stressed.
source : AFP