Real Madrid Sign Baptista From Sevilla

[Tenorsaw]

Fellas they can't leave ah good player alone.  Ah don't like they rapacious attitude.  Real too greedy.  How much room they have?  Looks like Owen could be on his way. 

Real sign Arsenal target Baptista

Wenger waits on Baptista 
Arsenal look to have missed out on Brazilian forward Julio Baptista after Sevilla agreed a fee with Real Madrid.
Sevilla said on their website they had agreed a fee of £13.8m (20m euros) rising to £16.9m (24.5m euros).

"The only logical decision was to sell him," Sevilla club president Jose Maria del Nido said.

Arsenal were close to agreeing a fee for Baptista, but he insists he will not be joining because he wants to qualify for Spanish citizenship.

Baptista will have been resident in Spain for two years in August and can apply for citizenship then, but it is unlikely to be granted until 2006.

He said: "It's very important for me for me to become Spanish.

"I'm very happy that teams of that calibre are interested in me. But I've got until next year to think about it."

Earlier, Sevilla president Jose Maria Del Nido said the Gunners were close to agreeing a club record fee for the Brazilian.

Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger, who hinted the versatile Baptista could be a replacement for ex-skipper Patrick Vieira, was keen to bring the player to Highbury.

The Gunners made an offer in excess of the £17.5m fee they paid for Jose Reyes in January 2004.

 Spurs enter Baptista race 

But the Spaniards resisted Arsenal's bids for Baptista, while Tottenham also showed an interest in the player.

Baptista started off as a midfielder but has been converted to a striker, with great success.

 

[palos]

In reply to Tenorsaw

Buh AA....so wha yuh go say bout Chelsea?

At de end of de day, Real buy all dese players and eh win a single ting last season.

In addition, dey still buyin offensive players when dey weakness at de back been evident fuh a while.

Besides dat, Baptista publicly stated he didn't want to leave Spain and wanted Spanish citizenship.  Perhaps he felt there was no way he could make Brasil first team squad playin for other teams.  Maybe now with Real madrid, he might get a look in fuh de yellow, green & blue.

It also sayin someting fuh a club dat still able to attract dese players KNOWIN FULL WELL dey have to fight fuh a regular first team spot.

[Tenorsaw]

Ah agree with yuh Palos.  Woodgate is still a question mark for the season; he hasn't played in over a year, and will only suppress rumors about an injury flare-up when he makes a decent run of appearances in the first team.  Also, Samuel, supposedly brought in to shore up the defence last season, was shaky at best.  They need another center back.  That is where they are vulnerable.  That shows that they still not changing they attitude of just buying the best whether they need support in that position or not.  Benitez showed them how to manage a squad in Spain, winning the league with Valencia by building a team of players, not a squad of galaticos.

[Jah Gol]

Madrid strategy of buying attacking players may be ill advised tactically however financially is probably a sound decision. Madrid is trying to sell a product, that product is attractive attacking football.

They will not win the season.

[kicker]

Fellas they can't leave ah good player alone.  Ah don't like they rapacious attitude.  Real too greedy.  How much room they have?  Looks like Owen could be on his way. 

Real might have plans for him in the midfield, so his inclusion might not threaten Owen

[duscam]

real buy baptista because he cause them lots of trouble when they meet..is like when alex buy yorke..yorke used to give manchester a hard time so alex buy him..