© EuroFootball.com
Lisbon has recently been closely following the situation of the Portuguese Luis Figo at the Madrid club and is ready to make an effort to attract the forward if the Royal club decides to let the player leave this summer.
The Portuguese, who won the FIFA Player of the Year title in 2001, started his career in 1990 precisely at the club in the capital of Portugal. After spending five years at the club, in 1995 the right-back moved to "Barcelona", and in 2000 he moved to the fiercest rival of the Catalans - Madrid's "Real", causing a lot of controversy in Spain.
Although Figo has won almost everything with the Royal club, his performance has been frequently criticized by Spanish newspapers and football experts in recent times.
Spain's press has been talking for some time now that during the summer the management of "Real" will make serious changes and release or sell several of the club's stars. Among the candidates, Luis Figo is often mentioned, even though his contract will only expire in January 2006. It is said that "Real" could completely release Figo from the remaining contract this summer, so "Sporting" would not have to pay a transfer fee, which could be a serious obstacle for the Lisbon team.
The Portuguese himself has hinted that he would like to leave the club if he is not offered a contract extension this summer.
If Figo were allowed to leave the Royal club, "Sporting" would undoubtedly not be the only contenders for such a star. The richest club in the world, Manchester United, head coach Sir Alex Ferguson has repeatedly expressed his admiration for the Portuguese's game, and Figo himself has told journalists that if he were to leave "Real", he would like to test himself in the English Premier League.
