Inter target Riquelme (28 Dec 2005 18:07 GMT)
Villarreal's Juan Roman Riquelme is the latest player linked with a move to Inter as a replacement for Juan Sebastian Veron.
The 27-year-old midfielder is said to be keen to play alongside his Argentina teammate Esteban Cambiasso and apparently believes that this is the right stage in his career for a move to Italy.
Inter promise to be very active in the January market and with several expensive arrivals already planned, this deal is almost certain to wait until the summer when Veron departs for his native Argentina.
There have been contrasting reports regarding negotiations. While it was widely believed that Villarreal were reluctant to let Riquelme leave without a vast fee, it was revealed that the Spanish club?s original valuation of the winger was as low as £5m.
Although an agreement looks likely, Riquelme is under contract with Villarreal until 2009 and Inter will fear that if he further demonstrates his ability in La Liga this season the asking price may rise considerably.
The Nerazzurri have also been linked today with Brazilian right-back Maicon. The 24-year-old impressed at the Copa America and is allegedly looking to leave Monaco and may arrive at the club with teammate Patrice Evra, a 24-year-old left wing-back.
source : channel4