Real agree deal with Ajax for Sneijder
Make apology for behaviour over transfer move
Ajax Amsterdam have accepted a 27 million euro offer from Spanish champions Real Madrid for midfielder Wesley Sneijder, the Dutch club said. Real confirmed the move, saying the 23-year-old Netherlands international, who has played 180 matches and scored 57 goals for Ajax, would sign a five-year contract with the club.
Sneijder, capped 35 times by the Netherlands, will join fellow Dutchman Royston Drenthe at the Spanish champions.
Drenthe, a 20-year-old left-back who can also play on the wing, arrived in Madrid on Sunday to complete a 14-million euro move from Feyenoord.
"I couldn't say no to a club of the magnitude of Real Madrid," Drenthe said at Madrid airport.
The signings of Sneijder and Drenthe will bring Real's Dutch contingent to three players, striker Ruud van Nistelrooy having joined the club last season from Manchester United.
With the addition of the two Dutchmen, Real will have signed six new players since coach Fabio Capello was sacked after steering the club to the league title last season.
Centre-backs Christoph Metzelder and Pepe, goalkeeper Jerzy Dudek and striker Javier Saviola have already joined the club who are now coached by former German international Bernd Schuster.
Yesterday, Ajax said they have received an apology from Real Madrid for their behaviour during negotiations prior to the signing of Sneijder.
"On Saturday night I received a message that they would like to re-open the negotiations," Ajax technical director Martin Van Geel said.
"The club apologised for their behaviour and on Sunday both clubs agreed a transfer fee of 27 million euros."
Real made an official offer of 24 million euros last Thursday for Sneijder and Ajax reduced their demand from 30 million to 27 million euros a day later.
On Friday Madrid's technical director Pedrag Mijatovic gave Ajax a three-hour ultimatum to accept 24 million euros but Ajax responded by saying they would not be held to ransom.
"You can't treat people like that," Ajax managing director Maarten Fontein said.
"It was intolerable. When we said we wouldn't talk unless it was carried out in a polite manner they got up and left."
Real returned to the negotiating table after Saturday's first leg of the Spanish Super Cup and upped their offer to 27 million euros.
"I'm glad we did not accept the first offer," said Van Geel.
Real lost 1-0 to King's Cup winners Sevilla in the first leg of the Spanish Super Cup on Saturday and play the return at the Bernabeu next Sunday.
They begin the defence of their league title at home to city rivals Atletico Madrid on the weekend of August 25-26.