[Marco]

Real Madrid to sign Luis Figo in new record £40 million transfer
First Published: tuesday-18-Jul-2000

Portuguese star Luis Figo is in Madrid today to finalise a new world record transfer to European champions Real Madrid.

Just over a day since Florentino Perez took over as new president of Real his main election promise seems about to come true.

The £40 million transfer breaks a record set only last week as Lazio paid Parma £37 million to sign striker Hernan Crespo.

Figo has been offered a four year contract with Real and is in talks to take up the offer. He has a clause in his contract with Barca that allows him to leave the Catalonian club if a club pays £38 million to sign him.

This clause allowed Perez and his team to get to work with Figo's agents to arrange the deal.

Perez - a building magnate - is hoping to stun the football world with his world record signing coup of Figo from hated rivals FC Barcelona. His main rivals are also involved in a presidential campaign at the Catalan giants which will climax on July 23rd and the loss of Figo could throw Barca into crisis.

Figo never denied contact between his agents and Perez since the end of Euro 2000 and said he would wait until the result of the Real election before deciding on his future.

SS Lazio failed in a bid for Figo just before Euro 2000 and the player was never likely to work with Lorenzo Sanz but Perez is about to pull off a notable coup. The new Real president offered to buy all season tickets and distribute them for free if Figo did not join Real.

Figo has been Portuguese player of the year for the past seven seasons and is rated as the top player to emerge from that country since the 1960s. The 28 year old has helped Barca to win two league titles and is now regarded as one of the world's best players. His performances for Portugal at Euro 2000 last month saw serious speculation star about his future with Barcelona but few could have predicted when Lazio's interest was at its height that Barca would lose their star to the principle Spanish rivals.


WOW! Real Madrid the defending European champs...instantly become even better! Best team in the world in my books.

 

[RedEagle]

WOW...What Real did was amazing...to snatch Barca's best player and put him together with Raul and Roberto Carlos...well that team is going to be even better than Lazio!

But now this is good news for Simao...He gets a chance to play and Barca gets close to 80 million on the Zenden Figo deals. Barca made out like bandits....

 

[Dan]

This is a load of rubbish. Figo will not be leaving Barcelona. Figo would only leave Barca if he could play in England which he says he would love to play here.

But at Real all he gets is an improved contract and he's not that selfish....at least I hope he aint.

This is tabloid trash and you would be a fool to believe that it's true.

 

[Paulo]

To England is also a load of bull i say there's a 10% chance of him leaving Barcelona.
But i doubt he will leave he likes the club alot almost as much as SCP .
Dont you guys think that even if the Real President doesnt sign him he will have to pay something like $8,5 million big ones but im sure he will make alot more cash at Real so if he looses 8'5 is nothing to him.

 

[Game Rod]

In TVE they said that despite Figo's latest statements (that indicated he didn't want to leave Barça) he will. It seems that Perez has a pre-contract with his manager signature and, most important, Figo's own signature. Almost all Spanish media give it as a fact, he will be wearing the white Real Madrid shirt.

If this is true I don't like to see him going away of Barcelona like this, but when he went to Barça he had also signed I-dont-know-how-many contracts and pre-contracts with various clubs.

Simão Sabrosa was faced as a disappointment in Spain, and Figo's crushing talent contributed to that, since people compaired both of them. Maybe he gets some room in the team, but only if the coach gives him a shot and he plays well. Otherwise I'd rather see him back in Sporting.

 

[Marco]

I am fed up of hearing about Simao Sabrosa! I think he was an idiot to leave the Portuguese league at that young age and I don't think that he will ever achieve his full potential...all young Portuguese players should follow Gomes example.....he is at a mature age and is ready to move on.....

 

[Santamaria]

remember simao had already played 2 years in sportings first team, so he was experienced beyond his years.

also going to barca and learning the trade is different than going to sevilla or oviedo (ie clubs with worse training facilities than sporting but with more ready cash due to large sums received from TV).

 

[Dae]

Simao played two years in the first team, but that team didn't compete for anything. I hate to admit it, but they ****ing stunk!! Going from that to Barca, who play for the CL every season, is not a a step easily taken. He should come home soon before he disappears forever.

 

[Dan]

Don't be surprised if Simao becomes the next Sporting flop to go baroad - like Dominguez, Cadete & co.

In this country you don't see players going off to major clubs to early. Despite a flood of offers, Liverpool refused to sell Owen as it is clear that he is still in a developing stage and moves for such young players sound exciting but in reality it's very different and finding yourself being shoved in "Talent for the future" list instead of the "Regular starter list" is very different and u find yourself training every week but no action apart from the odd "30 minute run out".

Even if Figo leaves - it will be a long time before Simao gets into the Barca 1st team which I doubt he ever will but who knows.