Higuain going nowhere, says Mourinho
Reuters - Sunday 06 May 2012, 11:02
MADRID, May 6 (Reuters) - Spanish champions Real Madrid have
no intention of letting striker Gonzalo Higuain leave but may
need to buy a back-up goalkeeper if Antonio Adan cannot be
persuaded to stay, coach Jose Mourinho said.
Mourinho told Spanish daily ABC that Argentina forward
Higuain, reportedly a target of several clubs including Paris St
Germain and Chelsea, would remain to compete for a starting
place with Karim Benzema next term.
"He has an excellent contract for many years," said
Mourinho, whose side wrapped up the club's first La Liga title
in four years on Wednesday.
"He is not one of those players who arrived a year ago and
earns little, he earns at the same level as others," he added.
"An offer of 40, 50, 60 million euros could be made,
whatever, but Madrid will not want to sell. I don't have a
problem. My two centre forwards for next season will be Higuain
and Benzema."
Mourinho said Spaniard Adan, a youth academy graduate who is
second choice to Iker Casillas and made only five appearances in
all competitions this season, had told him he was thinking of
leaving to get more playing time, an ambition he said he
admired.
"If Madrid is combing the market for a goalkeeper it's
because Adan does not want to stay," Mourinho said.
"My job is to convince Antonio to stay and I have asked Iker
to help. Adan is the second-choice keeper and if we cannot
convince him to stay we'll have to find a solution."
(Reporting by Iain Rogers, editing by Peter Rutherford)