Spanish trio express an interest in Celtic target Riquelme

Celtic’s chances of signing Atletico Madrid starlet Riquelme could have been dealt a significant blow, as a trio of Spanish clubs have expressed an interest in him.

According to Spanish outlet Estadio Deportivo, Real Madrid, Valencia and Real Betis have all been alerted to Riquelme’s contract situation with Atleti, with the versatile attacker’s deal set to expire this summer.

Celtic have reportedly already made a sizeable contract offer to Riquelme, who has a release clause of €30m in his current contract with Atleti.

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Interest from the Spanish trio could be incredibly bad news for Celtic, especially with Los Blancos said to be keen on him.

Riquelme is likely to be settled in Madrid at the moment, considering how he has spent his career in the Spanish capital with Atleti, and therefore a move to Real where he can stay in the city may appeal to him more than Glasgow.

And moving to the Bernabeu is something that appeals to footballers of all ages, at every level, which was emphasised last summer when Chelsea’s Eden Hazard made the move to Los Blancos despite his success with the Blues. There is an attraction to joining Real that Celtic may not be able to compete with.

However, the fact that Celtic appear to be the only club to have made a formal offer for him could play in the Hoops’ favour, as it signifies how much they want to sign him.

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