Boca Juniors president Mauricio Macri has announced that the Argentine club have agreed a deal with Villarreal to take Juan Roman Riquelme on loan for the rest of the season.
The 28-year-old has suffered a dramatic fall from grace at Villarreal having seemingly lost the confidence of coach Manuel Pellegrini.
The Argentine schemer had been seen as the club's talisman and helped guide them to the semi-finals of last season's UEFA Champions League where he was widely regarded as one of the tournament's outstanding performers.
However, having returned from the World Cup, he endured a slow start to this season as both he and Villarreal struggled for form.
A 4-1 home defeat against Osasuna on 17th December proved to be the final straw for Pellegrini who has subsequently omitted Riquelme from all match-day squads since, leaving the player kicking his heels in the stands.
Villarreal president Fernando Roig has expressed his unhappiness at the player's attitude and it was expected that the South American would move on in the January transfer window.
Boca made clear their interest in re-signing a player who made his name with them, but neither club could agree on the permanent deal Riquelme desired.
In the end the move did not materialise, but the player has now relented and agreed to accept a six-month loan deal to return to his native Argentina, as confirmed by Macri.
"I am happy because we have finalised the return of Riquelme to the club," the Boca supremo stated.
Riquelme won six Argentine championship titles during his first spell with the Buenos Aires-based club before moving to Barcelona in the summer of 2002
The 28-year-old has suffered a dramatic fall from grace at Villarreal having seemingly lost the confidence of coach Manuel Pellegrini.
The Argentine schemer had been seen as the club's talisman and helped guide them to the semi-finals of last season's UEFA Champions League where he was widely regarded as one of the tournament's outstanding performers.
However, having returned from the World Cup, he endured a slow start to this season as both he and Villarreal struggled for form.
A 4-1 home defeat against Osasuna on 17th December proved to be the final straw for Pellegrini who has subsequently omitted Riquelme from all match-day squads since, leaving the player kicking his heels in the stands.
Villarreal president Fernando Roig has expressed his unhappiness at the player's attitude and it was expected that the South American would move on in the January transfer window.
Boca made clear their interest in re-signing a player who made his name with them, but neither club could agree on the permanent deal Riquelme desired.
In the end the move did not materialise, but the player has now relented and agreed to accept a six-month loan deal to return to his native Argentina, as confirmed by Macri.
"I am happy because we have finalised the return of Riquelme to the club," the Boca supremo stated.
Riquelme won six Argentine championship titles during his first spell with the Buenos Aires-based club before moving to Barcelona in the summer of 2002
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