Forlan targeted by Zaragoza in January, says Jimenez

15-Feb-2013 11:15:00 PM

The Liga club's head coach says he wanted to purchase the Internacional striker in the transfer window, but his salary was a stumbling block

Zaragoza head coach Manolo Jimenez has revealed that the club wanted to sign former Atletico Madrid attacker Diego Forlan in the January transfer window.

The forward joined Internacional last summer after a fruitless season with Inter, and the Brazilian side finished ninth in the Brasileiro in 2012.

Jimenez believes the ex-Manchester United front man would have been an excellent fit at the Liga club but financial restraints meant his wage was too huge an obstacle to overcome.

"I asked [president] Agapito [Iglesias] to sign Forlan," he told Aragon Radio.

"He was a good fit, a veteran player who was still a good reinforcement because he could have guaranteed us 10 goals, by the end of the season.

"It was enough to save us, but he demanded €2m net salary which we could not afford."

Forlan was key to Uruguay’s success in major international tournaments in the past few years, as his goals helped guide the South American nation to a World Cup semi-final in 2010 and then Copa America success in 2011.

Zaragoza currently sit 16th in La Liga having played 23 matches, with the relegation zone just four points below them.