Where’s Riquelme Going Today?

As of Friday, Juan Roman Riquelme was going to leave Villarreal for a mere €3 million this winter (less that half of what Atletico Madrid nearly paid for him over the summer), and Inter were said by some to be the Italian front-runner for his signature. Now that he’s score two more goals for Argentina, though — his third and fourth in two games, this without playing a single first-team match for his club since the start of the season — the price has gone up, and the number of suitors has multiplied.

Today, it’s being reported that, in addition to foreign competition, Inter will have to battle Juve domestically for Riquelme’s services. In fact, Juve may even have the right of first refusal on the Argentine, though why on earth they would have been granted that is anyone’s guess. First refusal or not, though, if it comes down to either a willingness to spend or sheer number of Argentines already in the team, Inter are golden. In fact, the rejuvenated Walter Samuel is already calling his countryman to join him in Milan as, one assumes, are Javier Zanetti, Nico Burdisso, Hernan Crespo and Esteban Cambaisso. I mean, what else is international camp for, if not trying to get your national teammates to move to your club?

If you believe our old friends at Marca, meanwhile, Riquelme is going to leave Europe altogether and return to Boca Juniors, the club with which he started his career, and the one he was nearly loaned out to this season. Marca quote the player as calling Boca his “home,” and saying that he knows he will end up there, either immediately or next summer, after his contract with Villarreal runs out.

So, in theory, he could go somewhere — Inter, Juve, Barca, Real — on loan through June, and then go “home” (and home) to Boca next summer. Wherever he ends up, let’s hope it’s somewhere other than Villarreal in January, because only getting to watch this guy play every month or so it just not good enough.

Category: Rumors & News, AC Milan, Inter Milan, Serie A

Tags: Serie A, Riquelme, Boca Juniors, Villarreal, Argentina, Inter Milan, AC Milan, Rumors - News, Tag Index

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