Desired by Real Madrid, Cazorla sticks with Villarreal

AFP - 27 August 2008 13:00

Spanish international Santi Cazorla, seen here in 2005, who was being chased by Real Madrid, has renewed his contract with Villarreal

MADRID (AFP) - Spanish international Santi Cazorla, who was being chased by Real Madrid, said Wednesday he had renewed his contract with Villarreal.

"I feel really good at Villarreal and it is for this reason that we quickly reached an agreement," he told a joint news conference with club president Fernando Ruig.

The new contract will see the 23-year-old attacking midfielder - who helped Spain win the Euro 2008 tournament - stay at Villarreal until June 30, 2014. His previous contract expired in 2011.

"He is a super-important player for us, we have finished out recruitment and we can't make changes three days before the start of the championship," said Ruig.

Villarreal agreed to double Cazorla's annual salary to two million euros (2.9 million dollars) while Real Madrid was offering 1.5 million euros per year, daily newspaper El Mundo reported.

Real had offered to pay the player's buyout clause of 16 million euros but Villarreal demanded 28 million euros for Cazorla, news radio Cadena Ser reported earlier on Wednesday.

It is another setback for the Spanish champions who failed in their bid to recruit Manchester United's Portuguese playmaker Cristiano Ronaldo.