. Inter Milan’s Argentine international Javier Zanetti, who has recently been linked with a move to Real Madrid, may actually be playing for Barcelona next season.
“If one club is closest to signing Zanetti, it is Barcelona, not Real Madrid,” said Zanetti’s agent Jorge Oliva.
According to Oliva, relations with the Catalan club have always been good, while relations with Real have been “nonexistent.”
“They had thousands of opportunities to speak to me about Javier’s situation, and they never bothered,” said Oliva. “Madrid’s supposed interest doesn’t exist.”
A year ago, Barca president José Luis Nuñez told Oliva that Zanetti would always be on Barca’s agenda, and despite Nuñez’s pending departure from office, Zanetti’s appearance on Lorenzo Serra Ferrer’s shopping list has revived the Catalans’ interest in the Argentine wide-man.
Zanetti has said he would love to play beside Luis Figo, although he would want to know what Inter has planned for him before making any decision to leave the Milan club.
Meanwhile, Oliva wants to wait until Barcelona’s presidential elections are completed in order to avoid Zanetti’s name being used as an electoral weapon.
“The relationship we have with Barca would facilitate a transfer, as they are the only club who have expressed serious interest in Zanetti,” said Oliva.
