Real coach keen on Robben as president eyes Fabregas
Last updated at 21:24 30 July 2007
Real Madrid coach Bernd Schuster has reiterated his desire to bring Chelsea's Arjen Robben to the Bernabeu and insists the deal is "very important" for the club's
season.
Madrid are looking to strengthen their left-hand side and have been chasing
Robben, Jose Antonio Reyes and Royston Drenthe for much of the summer.
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While Reyes is now being tipped in the Spanish media to sign for Atletico
Madrid, Schuster feels the acquisitions of Drenthe and, in particular, Robben
would be a major boost for his plans.
"I would be a lot more relaxed if they were here," the coach said. "Getting Robben here is very important for us. That would allow Robinho and (Gonzalo) Higuain to be on the right. I want a lot of mobility there, similar to
what (Zinedine) Zidane did.
"It could be expensive. It is necessary to go slowly. I am sure that we haven't closed our squad yet."
Schuster, who replaced title-winning coach Fabio Capello in the Real hotseat
this summer, also admitted he expected Reyes to remain at Real, where he spent
last season on loan from Arsenal.
"We had options to keep him here and I would be surprised to see him go. I
thought he would stay because he was happy," Schuster told radio show El
Larguero.
Madrid meanwhile could make Cesc Fabregas their number one transfer target for next summer, with president Ramon Calderon still hoping to have all three of his main targets at the Bernabeu within two years.
The Spanish champions are known admirers of Fabregas and the Arsenal midfielder was one of Calderon's transfer pledges when he was running for election last summer.
Real were unable to bring Fabregas to Madrid at that time though, and they also failed in their bid to sign the 20-year-old this summer, with the player
committing his immediate future to Arsenal.
However, it could be third time lucky in 12 months' time, with Calderon hinting
they will be making another bid for the Spain international, who came through
the youth ranks at Real's arch rivals Barcelona.
When asked if there was still time to sign the three players he promised during
his election campaign - namely Arjen Robben, Fabregas and Kaka - Calderon said:
"There's a chance that they will all be here by the end of my third year in
office."
And when queried if that could mean Robben this summer, Fabregas next year and
Kaka the following year, Calderon told newspaper La Razon: "Well yes, I think
so. I don't want to create any false expectations."
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