Ze Roberto eyes Santos return

Al-Gharafa midfielder Ze Roberto has set his sights on a new spell at Santos.

The 37-year-old penned a one-year deal with the Qatari side at the end of the last season following the expiry of his Hamburg contract.

Despite Ze Roberto claiming in December that he had reached an agreement with an unspecified ‘top German club’, Santos president Luis Alvaro Ribeiro stated last month he was hopeful of landing the former Brazil international in May when his contract expires.

The former Bayern Munich star says that the termination of his Al-Gharafa contract is the only thing standing in the way of a move back to Santos, where he played in 2006-07.

“I am trying to rescind my contract with the club, but I am still owed some money,” Ze Roberto told Lancenet.

“In order to return (to Santos) now, I would have to give that up, and I will not do it.”

“I have always said that if I returned to Santos, it would be in the second half of the year.”

“My priority is to return to Brazil and end my career in the country, but the doors in Germany are also open to me.”

“Football is dynamic, until May a lot of things can happen.”