Sports / Soccer |
Real president says keen on Robben, Kaka(Reuters)Updated: 2007-06-08 09:10 Real Madrid are in talks with Chelsea to sign Dutch winger Arjen Robben and are interested in bringing AC Milan's Brazilian playmaker Kaka to the Bernabeu, the Spanish club's president said on Thursday. "We are in talks with Chelsea and the player, they are at an early stage but we hope to sign him," Ramon Calderon told reporters at the European Parliament in Brussels. "Bringing Robben was one of my pledges when I was running for president and still remains the case," he added. During the presidential election campaign last summer, Calderon said the Dutch international was one of three players he would bring to the club. The 23 year-old Robben was reported to be close to signing a new contract to keep him at Stamford Bridge until 2012 having turned down Bayern Munich, but Real are still hopeful of prising him away from London as well as landing Kaka from Milan. "We are waiting with open arms for Kaka. But it is now up to Milan, we know it will be difficult for them. He is the best player in the world right now," Calderon said. He also backed coach Fabio Capello to stay with the club for another season. "We will wait until the end of the campaign, but in principle I don't see why he shouldn't continue his adventure with Madrid," he said. "I have always said that I believed in him and in his past. He carried out a difficult renovation process." Capello came under fire earlier this season when Real seemed likely to miss out on the league title and even qualification for next season's Champions League. But the Italian coach has turned things around and Real are top of the table with 72 points ahead of Barcelona, due to a better head-to-head record, with just two matches left.
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