Santos eyeing former Brazil midfielder Ze Roberto

Rio De Janeiro: Former Bayern Munich and Real Madrid midfielder Ze Roberto is being pursued by Brazilian top-flight club Santos, according to local media reports.

The 39-year-old former Brazil international would be the latest in a series of high profile signings for Santos ahead of the 2014 season, Xinhua reported. Selecao striker Leandro Damiao joined the club from Internacional last month and Chile forward Eduardo Vargas is expected to sign in the coming weeks from Napoli. Aiding a deal for Ze Roberto is the need for his current club Gremio to slash its wage bill, local newspaper Diario Gaucho reported. The veteran has already enjoyed a successful spell with Santos, helping the side to the the 2007 Sao Paulo championship and the semifinal of the Copa Libertadores.