Chelsea lose the plot £71.4 million bid for Raul

[El Presidente]

Chelsea have failed in an audacious bid to sign Raul from Real Madrid.
The Stamford Bridge club's new owner, Roman Abramovich, wanted to sign the 26-year old for a world record £71.4m.

But the Spanish striker's agent, Gines Carvajal, revealed that Raul immediately rejected the offer and said he would not be leaving the Bernebeu.

"Fifa agent Marc Roger, on behalf of Chelsea, asked me if Raul would be interested in entering negotiations for a transfer to Chelsea," Carvajal said.

"I spoke to Raul, my client, and he said 'no'. He's not interested in leaving Real Madrid.

Feature: Chelsea's shopping list

"Roman Abramovich has made an offer of £71.4m for Raul and they want to pay him £8.4m a season, double what he is earning at Real Madrid," he added.

Raul, whose current contract expires in June 2005, is currently on tour with Madrid in the Far East, having landed in Kunming in China on Friday.

If the bid had been accepted, it would have destroyed the previous world transfer record of £45.8m Real Madrid paid Juventus for Zinedine Zidane two years ago

 

[gonzo666]

thats crazy money

 

[Soton Seagull]

I get the feeling that in a couple of years this whole Chelski thing is going to go tits up in a big way, administration and such as matey boy walks away.

 

[Maradona]

Fírmeme en un libre

 

[Blackadder]

If this is true, it's absolute madness!!

The game was just returning to "normality" and this guy is screwing everything up again!

Chelsea, remember, you can only field 11 players at any one time!

 

[Biscuit]

Whats £71.4 million...is so much money I have no idea the value if it...what can you buy with that kind money? Dont say Raul!

I mean I guess you could buy a small island for that!

 

[Beach Hut]

This is just absolutely stupid.

The FA must get involved now otherwise this whole sorry saga will end in tears all round and the club back where it was before in the 70s - bankrupt.

 

[Dez]

Madness. You could buy about 60 Zamora's for that much.

 

[Wozza]

Crazy. It would much cheaper to bribe all the refs.

 

[beorhthelm]

i dont think it really matters that much. its just one chairman with a bottomless pit of money. no other club could start paying these sorts of fees for players, as the money just isnt out there. Unless you get bought by someone equally as rich, and there aint that many around (he's in the top 50 in the world).

And the young players leave for nothing, as hes not bothered about balancing the books .

The only people who might get hurt are the real fans of Chelsea, and thats assuming that the guy isnt genuine - he might not get bored in a few years.

 

[Yorkie]

You have to admire Raul for his principles in turning down that sort of money. His cut would be worth more than most players

 

[Biscuit]

Crazy. It would much cheaper to bribe all the refs.

Interesting point.

 

[Biscuit]

Beach Hut is right.

Somthing has got to be done about this, its comical in a completly non funy way. But what can the FA do? Restrict the money they can spend on players? Nothing can be done can it? They cant ask him to resign, coz he put to much money in.

 

[:J)]

Whats £71.4 million...is so much money I have no idea the value if it...what can you buy with that kind money? Dont say Raul!

I mean I guess you could buy a small island for that!

Well - to truly put it into perspective - you could buy (almost) 2 Falmers with it!

 

[Shizuoka Dolphin]

Well - to truly put it into perspective - you could buy (almost) 2 Falmers with it!

But is that including the black hole of money that is the public enquiry?

 

[Brixtaan]

This is all great stuff, good luck to em, what can possibly go wrong? he's paying cash up front, adding fantastic interest to the season, we have a new Manure, people around the world will be taking interest in English football.It's all good.

Just one problem.

It's Chelsea,of all the ****ish clubs.

Suppose we should thank our lucky stars it wasn't the scum.

 

[Pevenseagull]

..........and then a few years later he lost interest in his plaything, made a few steps to recoup his investment - got bored and walked. The club tried to sustain its position with elaborate financing but ultimately they were left with wage bills and fixed outgoings that made Leeds circa 2002/3 look like a bomb proof blue chip co.

Within 4 seasons they'd joined Fulham in Div 3

could 'appen

 

[Lord Bracknell]

All together now...

I'm forever blowing roubles!

 

[Pevenseagull]

All together now...

I'm forever blowing roubles!

thanks for that, I might well go out tonight now

 

[Benny Seagull]

there should be some sort of tax on offers like these. it's shocking to see clubs like chelsea spending these amounts on players whilst others like luton (as much as i hate them) are going under. some of the money should be given to suffering teams as a fraction of that could really save the club. and afterall, the top clubs need us. if it wasn't for the bristol rovers etc, there would be no zamora's which the top teams are interested in. this is just not right.