Saviola to be offered new Barca contract

18 January 2007 17:29

Barcelona´s Javier Saviola celebrates after scoring at home against Alaves during their Spanish King Cup match, 16 January. The Argentina forward is to be rewarded for his midweek hat-trick, when Barca beat Alaves 3-2 by being offered a new Barcelona contract.

BARCELONA (AFP) - Argentina forward Javier Saviola is to be rewarded for his midweek hat-trick by being offered a new Barcelona contract.

Saviola struck three times as Barca knocked Alaves out of the Spanish Cup with a 3-2 victory (5-2 on aggregate) at the Nou Camp on Tuesday.

Saviola has scored eight goals in just 11 games this season despite starting only three times, with five of his goals coming in his two cup starts.

And now he looks set to be offered a new deal, although with vastly different terms to his existing contract, Sport newspaper has said.

Such a move would represent a full 180-degree about turn from Barcelona who shipped the little Argentine out on loan the previous two seasons - to Monaco and then Sevilla.

At the start of this season coach Frank Rijkaard said Saviola would not play as he was not part of his plans.

But with Cameroon striker Samuel Eto´o out injured since early in the season and fellow Argentine Lionel Messi missing several games, Saviola has often found himself on the bench.

Sport claim Saviola will be offered an incentive-based deal.

"His new contract could be worth between 2.5 and three million euros (a year), which will include incentives based on individual (games played, goals scored) and collective (winning the title)," said Sport.

Saviola was signed in 2001 and his current deal is due to run out at the end of the season.

He was a regular starter in his first three seasons but the goals dried up and he was loaned out during Barca´s last two championship-winning campaigns.