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Carlos to complete a 20 million move to Chelsea in next few days:
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Source The Times
By Victor Vago and David Sharrock
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CHELSEA are planning a move for Roberto Carlos, the Real Madrid defender, as Roman Abramovich seeks to emulate Real’s policy of signing some of the most famous players in the world. Reports in Spain last night said that the Brazil player’s wage demands have been turned down by Real and that he will take up an offer from Chelsea that will more than double his salary to £120,000 a week.
“I’m leaving Real Madrid, I’m going,” Roberto Carlos, whose contract with the Spanish club is scheduled to run out in July 2005, said on BBC Radio Brazil.
Jorge Valdano, the director of football at Real, who yesterday ended Carlos Queiroz’s tenure as coach, told AS, the Spanish daily sports paper: “He’s confirmed it. We’re waiting for a fax from Chelsea confirming they will pay the £20 million fee in order to complete the deal.”
Roberto Carlos, 31, was linked with Chelsea several months ago as his demands for an increase on his £45,000-a-week salary fell on deaf ears. The move now looks set to take place with almost immediate effect, the Brazilian seeing the switch to the Premiership as the final big move of his career.
Real are ringing the changes, with Queiroz being made the scapegoat for the club’s worst season in memory and replaced by José Antonio Camacho, the former Spain coach. The change could have repercussions for David Beckham, who arrived with Queiroz from Manchester United last summer, as rumours abound over whether he will stay or leave.
A warning issued by Florentino Pérez, the club president, yesterday could have been intended for Beckham — and, indeed, Roberto Carlos — when he was asked if some of the galácticos may now leave.
“I don’t like the phrase galácticos because it can be used as a weapon against us,” Pérez said. “I don’t know if they will all stay, but all I can say is that (Walter) Samuel came here for a lot less money than was offered by Chelsea. If anyone here wants to go to Chelsea, we’ll be delighted to listen, because we don’t want any players who have doubts about Madrid.”
Beckham, the England captain, announced last week that his wife and children would move to Madrid this summer. But the departure of Queiroz and his replacement by a man renowned for his bluntness and inflexibility may give him pause for thought.
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20 millions for a 31 year old is a joke and paying him 120,000 a week is fucking hilarious. Especially when in Bridge you've a great young left back
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