Real turn their sights on Fabregas
'Selling Ronaldo was key to title victory'
After being warned off Milan's Brazilian playmaker Kaka, Spanish champions Real Madrid have set their sights on recruiting Arsenal midfielder Cesc Fabregas ahead of next season.
Real's sporting director Predrag Mijatovic confirmed Spanish media reports that the 20-year-old Spain international is one of the players the club would like to sign to strengthen their present squad.
"Of course, we are interested in Cesc," Mijatovic was quoted as saying in Spanish sports daily Marca yesterday.
"We've been interested in him for over a year now and we are still interested.
"He is a great player and I expect all the big clubs will be interested."
Together with Kaka and Chelsea winger Arjen Robben, Cesc was one of three players Ramon Calderon pledged to sign when he was elected Real Madrid president last July.
Milan have said that Kaka was not for sale under any circumstances, although Calderon has said he hoped the player would push for a move away from the Serie A side.
Robben remains a Chelsea player, but Real Madrid have said they hope to sign the Dutchman for next season.
Meanwhile, Calderon yesterday told Marca reporters that according to him offloading Ronaldo to Milan was one of the chief reasons why Real Madrid ended up winning the Spanish title.
"It was vital that we recovered the habit of hard work and sacrifice and he (Ronaldo) didn't collaborate," Calderon said.
"I've enjoyed watching him, but we had to change the atmosphere in the dressing room and he wasn't helping."
Asked how much the decision to sell the Brazilian striker influenced Real's victory in the title race, Calderon replied: "A lot".
Real Madrid sold Ronaldo to Milan for 7.5 million euros in January this year when they were in third spot in the Primera Liga, four points behind leaders Barcelona.
The nine-times European champions mounted a strong comeback in the second half of the season, pipping Barcelona to the title by virtue of their better record in head-to-head matches.
Real Madrid coach Fabio Capello, who was reported to have been the driving force behind the decision to transfer Brazilian Ronaldo, was sacked 11 days after steering the club to their first league title in four years.