12 April 2007, by Sean Gillen

Deco urges Andrade to join him at Barcelona

Portugal defender triggers Real-Barca tug of war

Barcelona star Deco says he would be happy to see Portuguese international team-mate Jorge Andrade join him at the Nou Camp next season, as Barca and Real Madrid prepare to battle it out for the defender’s signature.

The pair were team-mates for two seasons at FC Porto, and Brazilian-born midfielder Deco admits that Andrade, currently with Deportivo La Coruna, would be a good choice for the Spanish champions.

“I’d like Jorge to play with me next season at Barca. He is a great player and one of the best defenders in the Liga,” he said.

It has been suggested that Andrade would prefer a move to Barcelona, and Portuguese daily Record have reported that the 28-year-old is already looking at houses in the city, while Catalan paper El Mundo Deportivo claim that the player has already signed a pre-contract with Los Cules.

However, Depor are thought to favour Real Madrid’s offer for the powerful centre-back. While Barca have suggested a straight cash offer of around 10 million euros, Real are prepared to exchange several of their younger squad players, including Javier Portillo and Ruben De La Red, plus a small fee.

Madrid’s reluctance to commit to any signings while the future of coach Fabio Capello is uncertain could also give Barca the edge in the chase for one of La Liga’s finest defenders, with Andrade looking increasingly likely to finally get his big move this summer.