Real Madrid closing in on Bundesliga star; Pazzini urges Inter to sign his friend

Real Madrid closing in on Bundesliga star

Real Madrid have moved closer to securing the signature of Borussia Dortmund midfielder Nuri Sahin, according to Bild.

Borussia Dortmund celebrated the Bundesliga title on Saturday, and Nuri Sahin joined the celebrations with tears in his eyes, sparking speculations that he would be moving clubs at the end of the season.

The Turkey international has already rejected an extension to his contract which expires in June 2013 and he is expected to leave Dortmund in the summer.

Real Madrid have singled out the 22-year-old as one of their main targets in the next transfer window with los Blancos hoping to meet the player’s release clause, which was set to be €6 million.

However, the Borussia Dortmund chiefs have denied the existence of such clause and are thought to be holding out for €20 million.

A report in El Confidencial reveals that the player has given up on the clause in exchange for being allowed to join the club of his preference in the summer.

It seems that Real Madrid are close to reaching an agreement with the Turkey international, who looks set to join his friend Mesut Ozil at Santiago Bernabeu.

Despite his fragile age, Sahin has got a wealth of experience at the big stage as well as the quality to play for a club of Real’s stature, but we are yet to see if he will be able to handle the pressure of playing for such a big club.

Pazzini urges Inter to sign his close friend

Inter striker Giampaolo Pazzini has revealed that he hopes the Neroazzuri will sign his friend Ricardo Montolivo.

Inter have been one of the teams chasing the unsettled Fiorentina midfielder and they appear to be the favourites for his signature.

Giampaolo Pazzini, who helped Inter beat Cesena last weekend with his injury-time brace, hopes he will be reunited with the Italy international.

The pair played together at Atalanta and Fiorentina, striking up a close friendship in the process.

“I’d love to play alongside Montolivo again. And not just because he’s a close friend of mine and we grew up together, but also because he’s a great midfielder who sets up a lot of goals,” Pazzini told Calcio Italia.
“He has a lot of talent, great vision and always knows where the goal is. It’s great to play in the same team as him.”

Montolivo has a contract until June 2012 with Fiorentina, but he is unlikely to sign a new deal, meaning that Viola will be looking to cash in on him next summer.

The 26-year-old midfielder has matured a great deal during his time at Artemio Franchi and he would certainly be a great addition to the Inter squad.

Heinze invites Juventus offer

Marseille defender Gabriel Heinze has hinted at a possible summer move to Juventus.

The former Manchester United defender is looking to leave Marseille at the end of the season despite enjoying a lot of success with the French giants.

The Argentine defender arrived to Velodrome from Real Madrid two years ago and he has now hinted at a move to Italy.

“Juventus? It is a great club. My career would be perfect if I had the chance to play also in the Italian league,” Heinze told L’Equipe.

“I’ve been close twice to going to Serie A, if I see a third possibility … There is little chance that I will remain in Marseille.

“I have other plans for the rest of my career.”

Juventus are in the search for an experienced left-back and they could jump at the opportunity to sign the Argentine in a cut-back deal next summer.

Heinze’s current contract does not expire before June 2012, but it appears that he has already set his sights on leaving Velodrome in the summer.

The 33-year-old should, however, be only considered as a short-term solution for Juventus’ defensive problems and the Bianconeri will only move for Heinze if they miss out on other targets.

For more news about football transfers and rumours, visit our Transfer News section. To view all football transfers for 2010/11 season, visit our Soccer Transfers section.