Real defender Pepe knows Diego for their time together in Portugal and told AS: "Yes, he is a very special person. He knows what to do with the ball. A player who can change a game for your team with a single play. He has the capacity to invent, something that very few players have. Guti or Robinho is a clear example of that...

"He said to me that he was very pleased that his name is in newspapers tying him to Madrid. And yes, he has said that for him it would be very good to sign for Madrid. He has friends here: Baptista, Robinho, myself."