Real Madrid are reported to have finalised a
deal for Valencia defender Raul Albiol.
The 23-year-old Spanish international was a reported target for
Liverpool, but he now looks set to join the new Florentino Perez
era at Madrid.
Madrid have already splashed out more than £140million to land
attacking targets Kaka and Cristiano Ronaldo, but new boss Manuel
Pellegrini is also wanting to bolster his defensive options.
Liverpool's Alvaro Arbeloa is high on the list, but Albiol was
his first choice and a €15million deal is understood to have been
agreed.
Albiol is ready to finalise the move when he returns from
Confederations Cup duty with Spain, when he will pen a five-year
deal at the Santiago Bernabeu.
Speaking from South Africa after Spain's shock semi-final defeat
to USA, Albiol insisted that he was in the dark over the
transfer.
"The truth is that I did not know anything because we had a
game," he said.
"Let's see if I hear something on Thursday. "
skysports.