Villarreal have confrmed that they will not be pursuing their interest in Newcastle striker Albert Luque.
The striker has struggled to make an impact since arriving on Tyneside in 2005 and has been linked with a move away from St James’ Park in the January transfer window.
However, despite their need for attacking reinforcements, Villarral director of sport, Jose Manuel Llaneza, insists the club will not be signing Luque.
Llaneza said: “We are looking for attacking options and both Luque and Ballesta were considered. However our club has a strict budget that we cannot go over.”
“The manager Manuel Pellegrini has demanded that reinforcements be brought in to help the attacking line,” he added.
“But we have decided to reject these plans and instead look to our youth team to solve the problem.”
