Maicon agent: Real Madrid deal close
Inter Milan defender Douglas Maicon is edging closer to a move to Jose Mourinho's Real Madrid, according to his agent Antonio Caliendo.
The Brazilian full-back who scored an amazing goal in the Samba Boys' 2-1 win over minnows North Korea apparently has “more hunger to win with Real Madrid than with Inter.
“The issue of figures is a problem the two presidents have to sort out between themselves,” Caliendo told Sky Sport Italia.
It is reported that Inter wont budge on the price for the defender with the Champions League holders wanting at least €10m more than the €25m currently on offer.
Caliendo added: “Massimo Moratti and Florentino Perez are such good friends that I’m sure they are the only ones who can make that decision.
“Of course everyone wants to get the best deal possible from a transfer involving a great champion. I hope that for the good of everyone they can find a middle ground.”
It is becoming clear that Maicon has his sights firmly fixed on a reunion with Mourinho and will almost certainly push through this transfer himself while Madrid are said to have already made an inquiry about the treble-winning defender.
“He wants to win and enter the history books by lifting the World Cup with Brazil,” added the agent.
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Also speaking to Spanish newspaper AS, Caliendo reinforced Maicon's desire to join Real.
“All we need is Florentino Perez and Massimo Moratti to meet and reach an agreement,” he said. “I'm waiting for this to happen.
“There is a gap between the amount offered and that demanded by Inter. The sooner it is resolved the better,” he concluded.
Inter are resigned to losing their star defender and have already lined up a shortlist of replacements which is believed to include Liverpool and England defender Glen Johnson.
By Saad Noor
Nick Moore is a freelance journalist based on the Isle of Skye, Scotland. He wrote his first FourFourTwo feature in 2001 about Gerard Houllier's cup-treble-winning Liverpool side, and has continued to ink his witty words for the mag ever since. Nick has produced FFT's 'Ask A Silly Question' interview for 16 years, once getting Peter Crouch to confess that he dreams about being a dwarf.