Mao Ye, the CEO of the La Liga club Espanyol, told La Grada that there is a “possibility” that Raul de Tomas may leave Espanyol before the end of the month in light of rumours linking the player to Premier League clubs Arsenal and Aston Villa.
There hasn’t been any recent surge in the popularity of the classic number nine.
Aston Villa, who continue to play well below expectations, have also ‘explored’ a deal for the broad-shouldered Spanish international Raul De Tomas, which is a fact that was confirmed by Barcelona’s blue-and-white-clad city rivals. Arsenal made an inquiry about Raul De Tomas back in January.
And while Mao Ye did not comment on reports that suggested Espanyol could accept just £20 million for a man whose contract included a £60 million release clause, the CEO of Periquitos certainly set the hearts of Periquitos fans racing when he admitted that De Tomas could still be sold before the transfer deadline in September.
What did the Espanyol CEO say about Raul De Tomas?
“There is no incident with Raul de Tomas. He joined the team later in the preseason, so it will take him more time in the gym to get up to the appropriate level.
He has provided us with a great deal of quality, and he is an essential component of the team. The new season of La Liga kicks off this week, and we are looking forward to seeing how ‘RDT’ performs for us moving forward,” he said.
“There are still several transfer days available. In addition, there are always opportunities (that De Tomas could leave). However, he is a member of our team,” he added.
Despite playing for Espanyol and Rayo Vallecano, De Tomas, who was born in Madrid but spent time at Real before moving on, has scored 35 goals in his past 81 appearances in La Liga. The striker has an otherwise great record, but his time spent with Benfica was marred by a string of unfortunate events.
Mikel Arteta and Steven Gerrard are two managers who expect their strikers to defend from the front while also posing a threat in the penalty area. The physical prowess, eye for a goal, and prodigious work ethic that De Tomas possesses would be very well received by both of these managers. De Tomas would be a perfect fit for their team.
