New Signings in La Liga

By European Football
July 29 2005

Spanish teams keep strengthening their squads with quality. Villarreal have landed former Juve midfielder Alessio Tacchinardi; Luciano Galletti will join Atlético de Madrid; and Argentina’s U-20 world champions skipper Pablo Zabaleta was bought by Espanyol.

Villarreal were seeking a defensive midfielder and finally signed 31-year-old Alessio Tacchinardi. Schalke 04 Danish player Christian Poulsen seemed closer to El Madrgigal, but negotiations got long and hard, and this way the Italian international will play in Spain next season after eleven years in Juventus. Details about the transfer and the contract were kept undisclosed by the two sides.

Atlético de Madrid is ready to sign Argentine forward Luciano Galletti, but the transfer will not be official until Jesper Gronkjaer is finally sold to German side VfB Stuttgart. The Germans have delayed the agreement since they expect Madrid to lower the fee, that is around 6 million euros, while they had bought the player for only 3 million euros and never played a match for the Spanish side. Anyway, a new agreement should be reached in a matter of hours.

Galletti will be presented as ‘Los Colchoneros’ new player as soon as the transfer is official. He will receive 1.5 million euros per year, during three seasons, and Zaragoza will receive 3 million euros for his transfer. Also, trainer Carlos Bianchi has now requested a new defensive midfielder, and Deportivo La Coruña’s Argentine player Aldo Duscher is very likely to be the answer.

Finally, Espanyol has found a replacement for Maxi Rodríguez, sold to Barcelona. The new signing is Pablo Zabaleta, a 20-year-old right midfielder who shone as Argentina’s skipper in the U-20 World Cup. The player signed a five year contract, receiving half a million euros per season, and the team paid 4 million euros.

Javier Saviola is next in the Espanyol shortlist. The quick striker, who will not be used by Frank Rijkaard in Barcelona, is trying to find a new team, but is reluctant to reduce his high wage, of around 5 million euros. Espanyol is trying to get Saviola’s loan and thus share with Barcelona the player’s wage.