Beckham7
01-04-2002, 05:58 AM
Struggling French club Nantes have completed the transfer of Colombia defender Mario Yepes from River Plate after the player passed a medical on Thursday.
River president Jose Maria Aguilar had informed that his club's lawyer had travelled to France to tie up the deal.
The French champions want to strengthen their squad in their fight to beat the drop, and are also in negotiations to sign midfielder Jerome Rothen from Troyes for £2 million.
Yepes, 25, moved to River from Deportivo Cali in 1999. He has played over 70 games for the cash-strapped Buenos Aires club.
Nantes went into the New Year second from bottom with just four wins from 19 games.
Aguilar also gave an update on other transfer business, starting with midfielder Damian Alvarez., whose move to Mexican side Monterrey has fallen through.
"I've heard some journalists say we're not going to let Alvarez play at River anymore if he doesn't accept being put on the transfer list.
That is terrible," he said.
"We're not going to do anything of the sort. He'll be in the team with all the rest of us. We can't make someone go to a club if he doesn't want to.
"We had everything agreed with Monterrey, but the player didn't like the offer from the Mexicans and decided to stay. That's all".
Aguilar has also commented on the Leonardo Astrada affair. The midfielder defied club orders to begin his holidays before the Apertura championship had finished.
"Astrada's an idol with the fans and sometimes people don't act the way they should. When he comes back we'll sit down with him and work out what happened."
River president Jose Maria Aguilar had informed that his club's lawyer had travelled to France to tie up the deal.
The French champions want to strengthen their squad in their fight to beat the drop, and are also in negotiations to sign midfielder Jerome Rothen from Troyes for £2 million.
Yepes, 25, moved to River from Deportivo Cali in 1999. He has played over 70 games for the cash-strapped Buenos Aires club.
Nantes went into the New Year second from bottom with just four wins from 19 games.
Aguilar also gave an update on other transfer business, starting with midfielder Damian Alvarez., whose move to Mexican side Monterrey has fallen through.
"I've heard some journalists say we're not going to let Alvarez play at River anymore if he doesn't accept being put on the transfer list.
That is terrible," he said.
"We're not going to do anything of the sort. He'll be in the team with all the rest of us. We can't make someone go to a club if he doesn't want to.
"We had everything agreed with Monterrey, but the player didn't like the offer from the Mexicans and decided to stay. That's all".
Aguilar has also commented on the Leonardo Astrada affair. The midfielder defied club orders to begin his holidays before the Apertura championship had finished.
"Astrada's an idol with the fans and sometimes people don't act the way they should. When he comes back we'll sit down with him and work out what happened."