LUQUE’S AGENT ASKS BARCELONA TO ACT

6th May 2004 -- Barely 24 hours after Deportivo were eliminated from the
Champions League, Manel Ferrer (the agent of Luque) picked up the topic
again about a possible transfer of the winger to his former club.
Surrounding the home match against Barcelona (2-3) of some weeks ago there
were already rumours that the Catalan club are interested in getting back
the Spanish international player. Now the issue seems to have reappeared.

Manel Ferrer commented to a local radio station in Barcelona that “if
Barcelona start negotiating with Deportivo they could take Luque. Until
now there haven’t been negotiations, but only an interest of Barcelona
in getting him”. Besides this, Luque’s agent praised the point of view
of Barcelona of “not wanting to intervene with the campaign of Deportivo
so far. Now there’s nothing more at stake for Deportivo and conversations
could start. But let me make clear that at the moment my players feels
wanted and valued at his current club”

Nevertheless, Manel Ferrer commented that “returning home would be a
great satisfaction for Luque because he has played for seven years in the
youth system of Barcelona but never reached the first team. But we’re
talking about a very important player of Deportivo and a part of their
success. Negotiations will be difficult because Deportivo will defend their
interests. Besides, it’s also true that if Deportivo want to be a big team
they cannot continue selling their best players”.

The thing is that in the summer of 2002 Albert Luque (26-years old) signed
a contract at Deportivo that will attach him to the Galician club until
2010. Interested clubs might pay his buy-out clause, but this is set at
€72 million and would make Luque the most expensive player ever in the
world of football. As this way of taking Luque won’t become a reality,
Barcelona will have to negotiate with Deportivo to lower his transfer
price. Knowing Lendoiro this will be a hard bargain and only by including
some of their own players Barcelona might be able to bring Luque back to
Catalunya. Players that could be part of a deal are Gerard, Gabri, Saviola,
Overmars, Quaresma or Luis Garcia.