Madrid - Oleguer Presas is about to leave Spanish football
giants Barcelona for Dutch club Ajax Amsetrdam, Catalan papers Mundo
Deportivo and Sport said on Tuesday.
Mundo Deportivo said that Ajax will pay around three million
euros (4.76 million dollars) for the polivalent defender.
According to Sport, Oleguer has been recommended to new Ajax coach
Marco Van Basten by his former team-mate Frank Rijkaard, coach of
Barca until two months ago.
Oleguer joined Barca from local side Gramanet in 2003, and
Rijkaard used him either at right-back or centre-back. He helped
Barca to win two Spanish league titles and the Champions League in
2006, but hardly played last season because of a string of injuries.
Oleguer, 28, had become unpopular with many fans in Spain because
of his controversial left-wing opinions, in favour of Catalan
separatism and various other radical causes.
It is alleged that, two years ago - when he was in the best form
of his career - he made it clear to then national team coach Luis
Aragones that he did not wanted to be picked for Spain.
Oleguer is to become the seventh player to leave in Barca's summer
cleanout, following Ronaldinho (AC Milan), Deco (Chelsea), Lilian
Thuram (PSG), Gianluca Zambrotta (AC Milan), Jose Edmílson
(Villarreal) and Giovani Dos Santos (Tottenham).
Barca are also keen to sell off striker Samuel Eto'o, another
player not wanted by new coach Josep Guardiola.
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