Liverpool are pulling ahead of Tottenham and Swansea in the race for Diego Capel's signature, according to reports in Portugal. The Sporting Lisbon winger is a decorated Spanish youth international, but economic woes at the club mean he could leave this summer. talkSPORT's Transfer Spotlight has the details...
Name: Diego Angel Capel Trinidad
Date of birth: 16 February, 1988
Birthplace: Albox, Spain
Position: Winger
Club: Sporting Lisbon
Honours: Copa del Rey (x2), Spanish Supercopa (2007), 2011 UEFA U21 Football Championship
What's the latest?
Capel has been linked with several English clubs in recent months, and speculation over his future has grown after he failed to travel with the team for a friendly game in Brazil. His contract runs until 2016, but it's believed that Liverpool will attempt to land him for as little as £5m. Former club Sevilla will recoup 20 per cent of the transfer, however, which could drive the price up.
Did you know?
1) Capel could have been yet another product of Barcelona's famous La Masia academy had things worked out differently. When he was 11 years old, Barca spotted him playing for local team Olula CF in a tournament, and after speaking with his parents, he agreed to join the FCB camp. The youngster suffered from home-sickness, however, and after a matter of months had to return to live with his parents in Andalucia. His former Barcelona youth coach Xavi Llorens described him as a "great player with a brilliant left foot. His problem wasn't to do with his ability."
2) The Spaniard was given his second chance in 2001, when Sevilla signed him for their own youth ranks. In 2004, after proving a success in his first year with Sevilla's B team, Barcelona's interest returned, but he decided to stay at the Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan. It proved a wise move, with his senior debut coming in October 2004 against Atletico Madrid. Only 16 at the time, he became the second youngest player ever to play for Sevilla, behind Jose Antonio Reyes.
3) In the summer of 2007 the winger was promoted permanently to the Sevilla first team, following the tragic death of their wingback Antonio Puerta. By the 2008/09 season he was a key player for the Andalucians, taking part in 41 games for them in all competitions. Over the next few years however he gradually lost his place in the starting line-up, and as a result, agreed to leave the club in 2011, joining Sporting Lisbon for €6m.
4) Capel scored his first Sporting goal in October 2011 against Vitoria Guimaraes and went on to score his first brace for the club that same month against Gil Vicente. He also performed well in Sporting's run to the semi-final of the Europa League that season, scoring in the home leg of their semifinal clash with Athletic Bilbao in April, with the Portuguese team going on to lose the tie 4-3 on aggregate. In total he made 49 appearances for his club in 2011/12.
5) Capel played for Spain at U17, U19, U20 and U21 level and, most recently, won the 2011 UEFA U21 Championship, making an appearance from the bench in the final against Switzerland. He made his senior Spain debut in a friendly against Denmark in August 2008 and played his second game for his country in a 2010 World Cup qualifier a month later against Bosnia-Herzegovina.
He says
"Right now, the only thing I'm thinking about is ending the season with this club, that has given me everything. Later we'll resolve my future, whether that's with Sporting or not. I just have to thank Sporting, who will always be in my heart."
Source: talkSPORT
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