10 July 2007, by Tom Kundert

Real Madrid pay 30 million euros for Porto’s Pepe

Central defender signs 5-year contract for Spanish giants

FC Porto’s Brazilian-born central defender Pepe has signed a five-year contract for Real Madrid. The transfer fee is reported to be 30 million euros.

Pepe was close to signing for Juventus and Barcelona in recent weeks, but it appeared Porto had fought off potential buyers for the powerful central defender.

However, the massive transfer fee and a fivefold increase in the player’s wages meant the sale of a defender, who cost Porto two million euros from Maritimo three seasons ago, was inevitable.

An official statement issued this morning from Real Madrid reads:

“Real Madrid and FC Porto arrived at an agreement yesterday for the transfer of Brazilian central defender Kleper Laveran Lima Ferreira (Pepe)”

The Spanish club’s website went on to say “one of the best players in the world has arrived at the club, which in the opinion of many is the perfect central defender because he does everything well: he has intelligence, tactics, order, positioning, strength and an impressive technical quality.”

The news will no doubt further infuriate FC Porto fans, already unhappy with the sale of star midfielder Anderson for 30 million euros at the start of the close season to Manchester United.

The huge windfall should at least enable the Portuguese champions to hold on to talented winger Ricardo Quaresma, who has been linked with a move to Atletico Madrid and Liverpool in recent days.