River president says Real Madrid target Quintero going nowhere
Millonaria chief Rodolfo D'Onofrio has said that he will exercise his purchase option on the Colombia midfielder and denied any interest from the Bernabéu.
River Plate president Rodolfo D’Onofrio has stated in an interview with supporters of fan website La Pagina Millonaria that he has no intention of letting Colombia international midfielder Juan Fernando Quintero leave the Estadio Monumental this summer and that the Argentinean club will exercise their purchase option on the 25-year-old, who is on loan from Porto.
Real Madrid have been credited with an interest in Quintero, who has been in sparkling form for Colombia at the World Cup, but D’Onofrio moved to calm fears that the playmaker would be leaving for the Bernabéu.
“River fans can relax, the story about Real Madrid is not true. River have received no word from them. It’s already been decided what will happen. It’s all arranged. It’s stipulated how we will pay the money that we have to pay [to Porto]. It’s not even a financial problem because we can give the ok for the deal now and pay what we have to pay in a few months.”
Quintero to prove a bargain for River
River have the option to buy Quintero for 3.75 million euros and have until December 15 to do so. The midfielder arrived at the Monumental for a loan fee of 500,000 euros and when River stump up the remainder he will become a permanent signing.
Quintero’s stock has risen considerably in Russia and River could stand to make a considerable profit on the player, who has scored one and assisted two more for Colombia at the World Cup.
However, D’Onofrio has indicated that River intend to hang on to Quintero. “Marcelo [Gallardo] and Enzo [Francescoli] said to me: ‘bring him here,’ because this player is going to perform well and be a difference-maker. And that has been the case. He has displayed that not only with River but also now with Colombia.”
