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SOCCER: REAL MADRID OFFERING £24MILLION FOR CHELSEA’S ROBBEN July 18, 2007
(SomaliNet) In a contract that would see the Dutch wing genius Arjen Robben pocket £74,000 a week tax free, Real Madrid are trying to lure Arjen by offering him a six-year deal worth £24million net.
According to a source, Madrid are closing in on a £16m transfer deal with Chelsea.
According to the source, Chelsea are also considering renewing their interest in Blues midfielder Frank Lampard, 29, after being snubbed by Arsenal playmaker Cesc Fabregas.
Robben, 23, is the priority and Bernabeu chiefs will line his pockets while picking up the tab for his taxes.
La Liga sides can take advantage of a loophole by registering their star imports as foreign executives.
That means they pay only 24 per cent income tax.
Robben would effectively earn £100,000 a week.
In England he would be hit with a 40 per cent tax bill but Spanish rules mean he would take home more than Chelsea’s £121,000-a-week top earners Michael Ballack and Andriy Shevchenko, who bank £72,600.
But Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho has denied that Robben is leaving Stamford Bridge.
He said: “The latest with Robben is that he played the game. I cannot tell you more than that.
“At the moment he is a Chelsea player with two more years of contract and he is working well.
“For me, he is a player like John Terry or Frank Lampard with two more years of contract.
“I look at him as a Chelsea player and he has to compete against very good wingers like we have. I am happy with the situation.”-The Sun