Juventus Propose Kovacevic-Flavio Swap
Thursday 28th September 2000
Serie A title hopefuls Juventus are trying to bring Real Madrid midfielder
Flavio Concei�ao to the Stadio Delle Alpi - and have reportedly suggested an
exchange-deal involving Yugoslavia striker Darko Kovacevic.
The Italian giants have an excess of forwards - Pippo Inzaghi, David
Trezeguet, Alessandro del Piero, Daniel Fonseca and Juan Esn�ider - and
Kovacevic rarely features in coach Carlo Ancelotti's first team.
Meanwhile, Real have a surplus of midfielders and desperately need a
striker.
The sticking-point could be Real's new sports director Jorge Valdano, who is
thought to be unconvinced by Kovacevic, a player he knows well from his time
in Spain with Real Sociedad.
Valdano reportedly has ideas of his own to ensure that the centre-forward
position is covered later in the year. He has shelved plans to bring Lazio's
Marcelo Salas to the Bernabeu but is still tracking Brazil ace Romario.
The veteran striker, who Valdano coached at Valencia, would relish a final
flourish on a big stage in Europe - and, more importantly, would cost
nothing as his contract at Vasco de Gama ends in December when the Spanish
transfer window reopens.
Valdano would then buy himself time to find the hungry young player he is
searching for to back up, and ultimately replace, current forward Fernando
Morientes.
Juventus enquired about Flavio in the summer, when he was at champions
Deportivo, but Real eventually paid �16 million for the Brazilian - a
signing requested by coach Vicente del Bosque and former technical director
Jos� Mart�nez Pirri.
But the midfielder has not fitted in and has lost his place alongside Claude
Makelele - another big-money summer signing, from Celta Vigo - to Albert
Celades.
