HAMBURG RESIGNED TO RAFAEL'S EXIT
Hamburg have accepted defeat in their bid to keep hold of midfielder Rafael van der Vaart and are making plans to replace him in the summer.
The 24-year-old Holland international confirmed at the weekend he will not be extending his contract, which is due to expire in 2010.
That deal includes a release clause allowing him to leave in 2009 for 1.5million euros and Hamburg now look set to cash in on their highly-rated playmaker.
"His decision does not catch us unprepared," said Hamburg chairman Bernd Hoffmann.
"We have been planning on two fronts for a while now and had many positive discussions with Rafael.
"We are looking forward to the next six months with him and he will certainly continue to give us 100%."
Van der Vaart was the focus of a club-record transfer bid from Valencia last summer, but the offer was rejected by Hamburg.
Since then, they have been locked in talks about extending the midfielder's contract but to no avail.
Van der Vaart has been a leading figure in Hamburg's challenge at the top of the Bundesliga so far this season, scoring nine goals in 14 games.
That has reportedly attracted interest from Juventus and Valencia, although Hoffmann revealed that neither club had stepped forward with a bid.
"There are no concrete offers from any interested club as yet," he told Bild.
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