Ajax in dogfight for Chivu´s services

Ajax coach Frank de Boer has revealed that Real Madrid are looking to sign Inter defender Cristian Chivu.

The Romania international’s current deal with Inter expires at the end of the season and an agreement over a new contract has not yet been reached.

De Boer has made no secret of his desire to bring Chivu to Ajax, where the defender played from 1999 to 2003, but he has now admitted that he faces stiff competition for the 31-year-old’s signature.

“We know Real Madrid also want him, but we hope that he will choose to return to that which was his home,” De Boer told La Gazzetta dello Sport.

Last month, Chivu’s agent admitted that Madrid were a strong possibility for his client when asked about a potential return to the Amsterdam ArenA.

At the Santiago Bernabeu, Chivu would reunite with Jose Mourinho, with whom he worked during the Portuguese coach’s tenure at Inter from 2008 to 2010.

Chivu, who has been with the Italian side since 2007, has so far made 13 appearances in all competitions this season.