Page 189

By -
0

Despite heavy interest from Jose Mourinho in bringing him to Manchester United this summer, Raphael Varane has rejected his former boss’ advances and will stay at Real Madrid.

Few defenders have shown as much potential as the Frenchman, who was signed by Mourinho during his stint in charge of Los Blancos when he was just 18-years-old in 2011. While current coach Zinedine Zidane rates him extremely highly, the defender found himself as third choice centre-back last term, behind Pepe and captain Sergio Ramos.

The Madrid boss had a personal conversation with Varane and told him that he will be given more opportunity to make his mark next season. Madrid convinced him that the time is not right for him to leave, rather that he should not consider that option as of yet.

Injury has hampered Varane’s progress and also ruled him out of Euro 2016 in his homeland this summer. That hasn’t stopped three Premier League clubs – including United – making moves for him.

Some of the offers – of up to €40 million – have been tempting, but Varane has stayed firm and will remain at the Estadio Santiago Bernabeu for at least one more year. Now 23, Varane is edging closer to his peak years and will want to play regular football sooner rather than later, which is why he has used his summer break to work hard in order to become Ramos’ immovable partner.

The Old Trafford club have undergone a transformation following the appointment of the Portuguese boss this summer, recruiting central defender Eric Bailly from Villarreal, attacking midfielder Henrikh Mkhitaryan and talismanic Swedish forward Zlatan Ibrahimovic to improve the team’s weak spine.

However, the former Lens defender is reportedly willing to fight for his place in the first team here in Madrid, despite healthy competition from fellow defenders Ramos, Pepe and Nacho Fernández.

By -
0

Real Madrid turned down a sensational summer swap involving Álvaro Morata and Atlético Madrid’s José María Giménez, according to reports in Spain.

Radio broadcaster Cadena SER claims Atlético were keen on the striker, but Real – despite being admirers of defender Giménez – opted against such a deal as they want Morata at the Bernabéu next term.

Speaking on the programme ‘El Larguero’, the journalist David Alonso explained that club president Florentino Pérez and coach Zinedine Zidane both see Morata as an important addition to the first-team squad. Morata, who departed Madrid for Italian champions Juventus in 2014, was bought back by Los Merengues for 30 million euros in June.

The 23-year-old has been re-signed by Los Blancos as part of the initial deal that took him to Juventus and it is expected that Zinedine Zidane will inform Morata that he’s integral to Los Merengues’ attack.By the time the Jose Mourinho era reached its ugly end at the Estadio Santiago Bernabeu, it was thought that having two centre-forwards competing against each other was doing them more harm than good.

Whilst Cristiano Ronaldo and Gareth Bale remain untouchable, the French striker does not and he will be acutely aware of Morata’s desire to take his shirt.Zidane has already shown he isn’t afraid to bench one of the club’s superstars with James Rodriguez the most high-profile name dropped during the Frenchman’s reign thus far.

Morata’s future itself isn’t set in stone especially with Chelsea and Antonio Conte interested in signing him.Now that he isn’t the same academy graduate who left the club two years ago in search of minutes, the Spaniard may well see a rotation policy as unappealing, given that he’s a legitimate star in his own right with his Euro 2016 performances proving as much.For the moment it appears as though Real Madrid are returning to a two striker policy.

By -
0

he Real Madrid squad took training for a second time in Canada, and once again Keylor Navas trained by himself as he recovers from a foot injury.

The Costa Rica international suffered a problem with his Achilles tendon in May which required surgery on June 9, causing him to miss the Copa America.As a result, the 29-year-old is now undergoing his own training regime, the aim of which is to keep him fit but not put any pressure on his left foot by doing exercises that primarily use his body.

Goalkeeping coach Luis Lopis is taking care of his new training regime at MLS side Montreal Impact’s facilities, and records every session on video in case he misses anything, while new fitness coach Antonio Pintus is overseeing his progress too.

The main target is arriving to the European Supercup, next 9th of August against Sevilla in Norway. However, the schedule is quite tight and Keylor Navas could miss the first trophy of the year.

The doctors and the medical team don’t want to put pressure on the goalkeeper and, if he’s not fully recovered, Kiko Casilla will be the goalkeeper in this important game.

Keylor Navas had surgery with the doctor Van Dijk and he’s been working as a professional to recovered as soon as possible, according to some sources in Valdebebas. Two days after surgery, he was already training and trying to recover.

During June, Navas has been going every day to Valdebebas at 11 o’clock to train. He spent at least three hours per day and, in the afternoon, he did some exercises at home as well. After his impressive season, Keylor Navas knows that he has to give 100% of his capacities to stay one year more as the main goalkeeper in Real Madrid. Navas played a key role in the Champions League trophy and would like to stay longer in Real Madrid goal.

By -
0

Real Madrid are close to signing midfielder Andre Gomes, which could be bad news for Mateo Kovacic.Los Blancos are currently negotiating with Valencia over the transfer and, should it go through, would leave the Croatian midfielder even further down the pecking order.

Kovacic was one of Rafa Benitez’s signings last summer, moving from Inter for €30 million, but has failed to fit into the side, earning very few minutes under either Benitez or Zinedine Zidane.While the club would be happy to hear offers from other clubs, the player wants to prove his worth during pre-season and show the coach he can be a useful member of the team.In order to do so, the midfielder has travelled with the squad to Montreal, despite playing in this year’s European Championship with Croatia, rather than stay on holiday.

The French coach is happy with Kovacic’s work rate, but knows he can’t make room for everyone.The midfielder is admired by a number of clubs in Italy and England, most notably Liverpool, where Jurgen Klopp is hoping to bolster his team.

Liverpool and Milan are thought to be the most seriously interested sides, with the Rossoneri looking for a loan with obligation to buy. In order to sweeten the deal, a buyback clause could be inserted, similar to the arrangement which saw Alvaro Morata move to Juventus before returning to Bernabeu this summer.

Kovacic made a total of 25 league appearances for Real in his debut season after signing from Inter Milan and despite his reported desire to stay – he’s even returned to pre-season training early in a bid to impress – it’s likely the player will be used to raise funds as the European champions pursue other targets.

He initially joined the club for £26m, and Liverpool may need to pay a similar fee to secure the deal for the Croatian.

By -
3

Real Madrid believe they will beat Manchester City and Inter Milan to the signature of Valencia and midfielder Andre Gomes. The Spanish giants are willing to pay €60million for the 22-year-old, who was part of Portugal’s European Championship winning side in France, according to Marca.

Even if Florentino Perez and the rest of the Estadio Santiago Bernabeu hierarchy are eventually convinced by the medical feedback, there will still be a long wait to go to securing Gomes’ signature, especially since Valencia want €65 million – a price tag which is so high because 25% of any profits would go to his previous club Benfica.That is a price that Los Blancos won’t reach and would try to negotiate down.

Gomes would be Zidane’s first signing of the summer, excluding the recapture of Alvaro Morata from Juventus, and would boost a central midfield area already containing Toni Kroos, Modric and Casemiro. The honing in on Gomes comes with Zidane’s comments that his squad will be difficult to improve, cooling rumours that Real could rival Manchester United for Paul Pogba’s signature.

Gomes played 30 times for Valencia last season, scoring three goals and also creating three as his side limped to a disappointing 12th-placed finish. In terms of his character, the feedback is also positive as the midfielder is, by all accounts, a team player. He has been praised for his teamwork, even when he is not in the starting line-up; as was demonstrated at Euro 2016 when he helped the starters as much as he could from the sidelines in the matches he did not play.

They have not yet received a complete medical report and will not act until they better understand the repeated hamstring injuries suffered last season and at Euro 2016.Yet Gomes’ agent Jorge Mendes, who is aware of Real Madrid’s interest, is convinced that he can clear up any medical uncertainties.

By -
0

Reports in Italy suggest that Real Madrid defender Nacho Fernández will sign for Roma in the next few hours.

The player’s representatives – according to Sky – will meet with the Bernabéu board on Tuesday to hammer out the fine print of the deal to take the 26-year-old to the Stadio Olimpico, with the Roma hierarchy anticipating a definitive answer by Wednesday.

Nacho will sign on a one-year loan agreement, with Roma having the option to buy at the end of the season for 11 million euros. Madrid will apparently retain a buy-back option of 15 million.

It is yet to be decided whether Roma will be asked to stump up a loan fee for the defender and, if that is the case, it could be paid in instalments. Nacho travelled to Montreal with the Real squad on Sunday, but it is increasingly likely that he will have to make a swift return to Europe to finalise the deal.

Roma president James Palotta has already practically rubber-stamped the deal in comments made to Italian daily Il Tempo, by saying: “Nacho and Juan Jesús are both experienced defenders who will help us a lot.”

Sky Sports Italia also reported that Nacho’s agent, José Seguí, will be busy putting the final touches to the deal on Monday to make his client a Roma player.

Breaking down Nacho’s 6.9 defensive actions per 90 minutes last season, he averaged 1.4 tackles per match, 2.3 interceptions per match, 2.2 clearances per match and 0.6 blocks per match. The Spaniard has since gone on to make 53 first-team appearances for the club in La Liga, 16 of which came last season.

He made his senior international debut for La Roja in 2013 and has gone on to make four appearances for the Spanish national squad.

It’s unclear how Amadou Diawara – another potential transfer – will fit into Roma’s immediate plans should Nacho’s move come to fruition, but he’s certainly one for the future.

By -
1

Zinedine Zidane cut a relaxed figure during his first press conference of the pre-season in Montreal. The Real Madrid coach wasn’t subjected to too many searching questions on his plans and played a straight bat when he was quizzed on the potential ins and outs ahead of the new season.

The question everybody was waiting to hear answered, of course, concerned France and Juventus midfielder Paul Pogba, who has been heavily linked with a move to the Bernabéu this summer. Zidane’s reply was suitably non-committal.

Zidane said: “I’m happy with the squad I’ve got and it’s difficult to improve on it.

“Do I like Pogba? Of course, he’s a very good player and every club wants the best players. But right now he’s at Juve and we have a large squad already.

“There are still lots of players yet to join up with the squad and, with the Euros going on, we couldn’t do anything. We have three games coming up and that’s the focus at the moment.”

The future of Álvaro Morata has also caused much speculation – as a return to Real this summer hasn’t failed to stop Chelsea’s interest in the Spanish striker.

When quizzed about Morata, Zidane said: “He is another member of this team. He’s back and I’m happy to have him.

“He is an academy product, who knows what Real Madrid is and truthfully we are and (we’re), me above all, happy to have him with us.

“Later, we’ll see… we have a large squad and all the players will be important. Álvaro will be one more of the team.”

James Rodríguez also cropped up during the press conference, with Zidane again preferring to speak in broad terms about a player who didn’t see much action after the Frenchman assumed the reins last January.

He added: “James is another member of the squad. He’ll be back on the 26th, with Sergio Ramos and Luka Modric.

“I’ll speak to him, as I will speak with everyone. I’m not going to say that James isn’t a starter.

“he is an important player for us”.

Asked about Jesé’s uncertain future, and whether he favours a smaller or larger squad than he had at his disposal last season, Zidane replied: “We have lots of youth players who aren’t ready to play for the first team and (need to) go out to gain experience. In terms of Jesé, he didn’t play much last year.

“As the coach, I like Jesé as a player and want him to stay but it’s impossible to say what will happen.”

By -
2
Alvaro Morata

Despite having just rejoined Real Madrid from Juventus, Alvaro Morata is desperate for his role within the team to be clarified by Zinedine Zidane.

The Los Blancos academy graduate wants to play regularly and feel like a key part of the squad winning major trophies in the capital. This is a feeling he held in Turin and one he has been promised by the new Chelsea boss Antonio Conte.

The Italian himself has been in touch with the forward on almost a daily basis to assure him of his role should he join the London club. However, even though a deal appears a way off in terms of finances and Real’s desire to sell, it remains a possibility.

The Spaniard has been on holiday following his impressive Euro 2016 campaign, yet is scheduled to undergo a medical on Wednesday before travelling to Montreal – as part of the club’s pre-season tour. Chelsea’s courtship of the forward has only gone as far as one initial offer up to this point, with the Blues putting €60 million on the table.

Real Madrid’s forward line is currently locked-in with the BBC of Gareth Bale, Karim Benzema and Cristiano Ronaldo. This has caused Morata to doubt his potential role at the Estadio Santiago Bernabeu, which could play to Chelsea’s advantage as the summer progresses.

What could become crucial is the reported injury lay-off of Ronaldo, which could keep the Portuguese star out of action until September. If that is the case, then Morata will be confident of being given game time in that period.

The 23-year-old is not just seen as a sporting asset by those in power at the Madrid club, it is well known how much of an economic asset he is too. The knock-on effect of this could be felt just down the road at the Estadio Vicente Calderon, with Atletico Madrid’s pursuit of Diego Costa hinging on Los Merengues’ young attacker heading to Stamford Bridge.

Morata’s decision will become clear this week – following a meeting with Madrid manager Zidane – but, for the moment, all possibilities are open.

By -
2
Leroy Sane Real Madrid

For a number of weeks now, Schalke’s young talent Leroy Sané has been on the radars of some of Europe’s biggest clubs – with Manchester City the most likely destination for the 20-year old.

However, in comments made on Monday to Sky Deutschland, Souleyman Sané – the player’s father – claimed that both Madrid and Bayern Munich are still in the race to sign Sané, amid reports that City are close to sealing a move for the Germany attacker.

He said: “A deal hasn’t been made with anybody, and Madrid as well as Bayern Munich still have opportunities.”

Sky Deutschland also reported that Schalke will not listen to any offers under €40 million for the German international.

As was revealed by AS in January, Real Madrid have retained an interest in the player since they played Schalke in the Champions League second round back in 2015 – after Mané shone in the second leg of that tie by scoring a goal. Los Blancos haven’t forgotten the winger since that day and he has now gone on to become an indispensable piece of the Bundesliga side.

Sanehas been strongly linked with a switch to the Premier League club this summer, with Bild reporting late last week that he has already agreed terms on a four-year contract to join new boss Pep Guardiola at the Etihad Stadium. The German tabloid added that the transfer fee was the only issue still to be negotiated, with Schalke hoping to at least get €50 million for their biggest asset.

Bayern were initially hoping to stall Sané for a season – as next year a release clause in his contract kicks in, meaning he would be available for £29million. However, Arjen Robben has been injured in a pre-season friendly and they could now try to hijack City’s deal.

Zinedine Zidane’s side have not been on the scene at all, but they have a habit of arriving late and snatching players from under the noses of other teams – as they did with City target Isco three years ago.

By -
3

Real Madrid have told Paul Pogba’s agent Mino Raiola that the Juventus and France star will need patience while the club consider how to finance a deal, but it’s possible that time has already run out on them.

During the latest conversations between Raiola and Real Madrid – which took place last week – Los Blancos asked for more time to let them put together their operation. The exorbitant transfer fee of €120 million is not yet viable for the Champions League winners, at this moment.

To raise the money needed, the club would need to make a big sale first. While Manchester United are very close to closing out a deal for the Juventus midfielder – according to various reports – the player himself is not in any rush to sign. His dream is to play under his hero, Zinedine Zidane. Add in the added factor that United were guilty of undervaluing him a few years ago and let him go, but the great seducer Mourinho may have helped overcome that bad memory.

Raiola’s declared that Pogba is happy at Juve a few days ago – adding that he’s in no rush to leave and that “he could even renew his contract” – but this only came to light after Real’s plea for a little patience. It’s very much in the interest of Pogba’s agent to stir up the soap opera – as he wants to take a large cut of the deal after all, with rumours suggesting that he’s asked for €20m.

Different sources have confirmed that the player hasn’t considered renewing his contract at the Italian giants and it’s only Railo who’s brought up the subject. The directors in Turin are not budging from the €120m mark, although it is thought that this total could be brought down if paid in cash. Madrid need time, but United are piling on the pressure and there aren’t any other Galácticos left in the market.

1...188189190...733Page 189 of 733

www.gambleaware.co.uk or www.gamcare.org.uk
Please gamble responsibly