Benfica request Real Madrid to clarify Perez comments

• zocoss

  22 Sep 11, 19:46

  Real Madrid's Florentino Perez says Fabio Coentrao did not cost €30m - report

  The Spanish club's patron has clarified that the Portuguese left-back cost slightly less as Garay was inserted into the deal

  

   

  Benfica request Real Madrid to clarify Florentino Perez comments

   

   

   

  Real Madrid president Florentino Perez has declared the club did not spend €30 million to sign Fabio Coentrao from Benfica, according to Marca.
  

  
  The Portugal international was Madrid's most expensive summer signing, but he has so far failed to justify his hefty price-tag on the field.
  
  Confronted with Coentrao's transfer fee by one of the club's paying members, Perez reportedly explained that the Portuguese left-back did not cost €30m, as defender Ezequiel Garay moved to Benfica in a €12.5m switch.
  
  The Estadio da Luz outfit had announced to the Portuguese stock market (CMVM) they had spent €5.5m to acquire 50 per cent of Garay's economic rights, but it appears now they have spent €7m more in order to gain full control over the Argentine.
  
  This means that Garay was included in Coentrao's transfer to the Santiago Bernabeu and that Madrid spent €17.5m to land the Portuguese, who will spend the next two weeks on the sidelines with a hamstring injury.
  
  Meanwhile, Benfica’s communications director Joao Gabriel has come out to deny Perez's alleged remarks, telling news agency Lusa: "Benfica have already requested Real Madrid to clarify the comments which came to public and allegedly belong to the president of Madrid.
  
  "We will divulge the real figures involved in the operation if Madrid fail to do so."

   

• zocoss

  22 Sep 11, 19:49

  Diego Maradona: I told Jose Mourinho to sign Sergio Aguero for Real Madrid to help compete with Barcelona

  The legendary Argentine has revealed that he advised the Santiago Bernabeu side's head coach to sign the attacker before he moved to Manchester City in the summer

   

   

   

   

   

   

  Diego Maradona has stated that he advised Real Madrid coach Jose Mourinho to lure Sergio Aguero to Santiago Bernabeu in the summer transfer window as he felt the signing of the Argentina international would help him to compete with Barcelona.

   

  Aguero publicly declared his desire to leave Atletico Madrid, and, although he was linked with a move to Real more than once, the transfer never materialized and he eventually joined Manchester City instead.

  
  "Real Madrid need a super team if they are to stop Barcelona and Sergio Aguero would have been the perfect man to help them to the same level as Barca," Maradona was quoted as saying by Marca.
  
  "I have advised Mourinho to sign him more than once, but Real Madrid didn't listen.
  
  "Barcelona now have a huge advantage over Madrid. We will see how everything turns out at the end of the season."
  
  Barcelona currently sit fourth in the Primera Division table with seven points from three games, while Madrid lie sixth with six points.