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13th June 2001
De La Cruz is no loan star!
Deal is just about
done for Ecuador international
(Stuart Crowther)
ULISES DE LA
CRUZ WILL BE NO LOAN STAR at Easter Road, with Hibs managing
director Rod Petrie insisting today that talk from South America
of Hibs only being interested in a loan deal were false.
Sources in Ecuador
were hinting earlier this week that there may be problems in
Hibs bid to sign the 27-year-old as the Easter Road club were
looking only for a loan deal, albeit one of at least a year,
however Petrie told the Edinburgh Evening News today: "There
seems to be some reporting of words from an official at his
club saying he was available for so much on loan but the deal
we have struck is an outright transfer." That appears
to confirm initial reports the De la Cruz would smash the Easter
Road transfer record, the £450,000 paid to Celtic to bring Pat
McGinlay back from Glasgow to Easter Road.
Pat McGinlay - transfer record soon to be gone (sns)
The
Hibs chief also confirmed that the deal was all but complete,
while admitting that the player's current status was clouded
by his connections with two clubs, Liga Deportiva Universitaria
de Quito and Barcelona Guayaquil. However Petrie insists
that the deal is done to bring the player to Edinburgh, saying:
"It is a bit complicated but I believe that most of the
matters have been sorted out and I look forward to being able
to finalise it next week." Petrie confirmed also
that talks are continuing with Toulouse over the signing of
Marc Libbra, and hopes remain high that the player will return
to Edinburgh.
Meanwhile
the SPL are today looking to Hibs to help restore Scotland's
two Champions League places next year. Scotland have fallen
to 16th place in the UEFA rankings, just below the slot required
to retain two Champions League qualification slots and so confirming
that clubs in the SPL next season will be competing for three
UEFA slots and the single Champions League qualification to
the League Champions. An SPL spokesman however believes
that Scotland is in good shape to reclaim the additional slot
in the top European competition, saying: "The
fact that we've got the chance to get two teams into this year's
Champions League, two clubs in the UEFA Cup and Dundee in this
season's Intertoto can only be good news and will hopefully
help increase our co-efficient in future.
"Despite the fact that we've
jumped from 26 in the UEFA rankings since the formation of the
SPL, we'll be doing everything we can in terms of fixturing
for next season to ensure that our clubs playing in Europe have
the best possible preparation in order that we can regain that
Champions League place.'' |
