Villarreal Invite Riquelme Offers
Villarreal have announced that they are waiting for offers for Juan Roman Riquelme. If they do not receive any offer the player and the club both like, then, and only then, will the Argentine return to the squad.
The troubled Argentinian midfielder has had several offers, but turned them all down despite being told that he is free to leave El Madrifgal.
When he returns to pre-season training on Thursday, Riquelme has two choices, according to club president Fernando Roig.
"Riquelme will be incorporated into the squad on Thursday following a month of vacation as he played in the Copa América," he said.
"He is going to then do pre-season with the rest of the squad and until August 31, when the transfer market closes, two things can happen.
"The first would be that we reach an agreement where by all his contractual problems are solved and the other one is that we do accept offers by the end of the month and Riquelme becomes a regular member of the squad here.
"Until the window closes, Riquelme does enter into Villarreal's plan and he is for sale.
"After that, if he has not left, we will move on and he will become a player at the club just like any other, as he has a number reserved and is registered to play in the league.
"The club have received numerous offers from European and non-European teams.
"We have told the player's agent about all these and from what I know they have not accepted any of them.
"If the player does not accept them, then neither shall we. We have said that when the players reaches an agreement then we will talk to the club involved."
After falling out with the club before last Christmas, Riquelme was loaned out to Boca Juniors for the final six months of the campaign but that will not happen again.
"The circumstances of the second half of last season will not be repeated," Roig continued.
"Boca Juniors have made no offer to Villarreal. Nobody from there has been in touch."
With the door open to a return to Manolo Pellegrini's team, Riquelme must now play catch-up, according to Roig.
"His team-mates have already had 18 days of pre-season training and are at a completely different level," he continued.
"He has to find his fitness and form and when they happens the coach can consider him along with everyone else."
goal.com