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Endri Zgjani
Rivaldo deal to stay at Barcelona
Barcelona have agreed a deal to keep Rivaldo at the club for the next three years, putting paid to speculation linking the Brazilian forward with a move to AC Milan.
Rivaldo had talks to Barcelona president Joan Gaspart until late yesterday before hummering out the highest paid player in the world.
Niether the club nor Rivaldo would comment on the details of the contrct but the world and European Player of the year is sure to see a vast increase in his former salary.
Barcelona-based sport newspaper reckoned the new deal would net him some 850 million pesetas ($4.69 milliojn) a year for the remaning three seasons of his contract.
Madrid sports dailes put the figure at a staggening 1,100 million pesetas ($ 6,07 million) on a year after tax.
"I`ve always said that I wanted to stay at Barcelona," said Rivaldo as he ermeged from from the late night meeting at Nou Camp."I was always confident that I`de be staying."I`ve always been happy here and now I`m even happier to be staying.
Italian giants AC Milan had been leading the chase for a player who was involved in a long-running dispute and keep Rivaldo at the Nou Camp.
"My priority was to make sure that Rivaldo was happy," said Gaspart after Clinching Rivaldo`s signature on the improved contract which will see the Brazilian almost double his salary."The deal we`ve done does not to go against the economic philosophy of the club."
Rivaldo has emerged over the last couple of seasons as one of the stars of the world game but his form fell away sharply toward the end of the last term and there had been increasing speculation that his spat with Nunez would see him leave the club.
The player is now due to hook up with his team mates at the Barcelona training camp in Hoenderloo in the Netherkands.