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Wigan are demanding a stunning £15million for Luis
Antonio Valencia - with Real Madrid making a shock inquiry for him.
Steve Bruce will have to fight to hold on to the Ecuador
international after agents from the Spanish club - now managed by
Juande Ramos - contacted the Latics to register an
interest.
But boss Bruce has put a hefty price tag on the winger, who has
emerged as a cut-price alternative to Cristiano Ronaldo as Real
look to improve in a hurry under former Spurs chief Ramos.
Valencia is still under contract at the JJB stadium and Bruce
will risk upsetting him by demanding the sky-high fee because he
knows how important he is to Wigan and how hard he will be to
replace.
Real's interest comes after their spies twice watched Valencia
recently and saw enough of his explosive pace and skill to convince
them of his abilities. Valencia was with Villarreal and Recreativo
Huelva in Spain at the start of his career, speaks the language and
would obviously love the chance to play for Real.
Wigan fear selling him could plunge them into relegation trouble
unless they find someone to fill his boots.
Looks like Real are trying to buy a new squad to take on
Liverpool in the CL... lol. The club have already completed the
£20m signing of holding midfielder Diarra and £19m Holland striker
Huntelaar from Ajax. ($39m)
Now they are still chasing after Aston Villa's Ashley
Young or Tottenham Hotspur's Aaron Lennon or Liverpool
midfielder Jermaine Pennant... and now Wigan's Luis Antonio
Valencia...