Madrid set to begin mission Van Der Vaart

Bernd Schuster has told Real Madrid that signing Rafael van der Vaart is a priority and the club have sent representatives to Hamburg to open negotiations.

Madrid is set to offer €15m for the former Ajax midfielder who is going to play his first Bundesliga game this season on saturday.

Schuster had already revealed his desire to sign the gifted Dutch a number of times and Van Der Vaart has responded by saying that he will jump at the chance of signing for Real Madrid.

"Van der Vaart is on my list of wanted players," Schuster told Kicker recently. "The club knows his price and if we want we can sign him for the amount."

Van Der Vaart's agent, Soren Lerby decided to stay tight-lipped but confirmed that something new is going to happen in the next few days.

"Right now, we cannot comment on this matter," he explained. "We shall have to see what happens."

Van der Vaart has a contract with Hamburg until 2011, but has stated that he would leave the club if, and only if, Madrid were to make a concrete offer for his services.

"I want to play in the Champions League and to win trophies and Madrid is a great club," the 24-year-old was quoted as saying recently.

"I will continue to play for Hamburg of course, unless Real Madrid come for me. If they do, then I do not think that I could say no."

Bayern Munich failed with a €15m bid at the start of the summer break, but the player's desire to sign for los Merengues could well see him allowed to leave.

Hamburg paid just €5m for Van der Vaart two years ago and he has missed several games for the club due to a number of minor injuries.

Predrag Mijatovic, who was in Rotterdam on Thursday tying up the deal for Royston Drenthe, has maintained constant contact with Lerby and is ready to negotiate with Hamburg.

Van der Vaart was born in Heemskerk in Holland, but has a Spanish mother and family in Cádiz who he visits on a regular basis and they have told him that they would love him to join Madrid.

Those ties and the attraction of playing for such a glamorous club have meant that if Hamburg are willing to accept the offer, then the player would quickly agree personal terms.