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Antoine Griezmann

Atletico de Madrid forward Antoine Griezmann says international team mate Karim Benzema always responds on the pitch and has backed him to overcome his off-field problems.

The Los Blancos striker has made the headlines for all the wrong reasons in recent months and has generated plenty of negative PR. The 27-year-old is involved in a blackmail case against team mate Matieu Valbuena.

As a result of his involvement that, Benzema was suspended from the France team and will find out next month whether he can be recalled or not ahead of the European Championship in the summer.

He was also called as a witness in a fraud case involving a company he had invested in, although there is no suggestion the striker has done anything wrong.

In quotes published on FourFourTwo magazine, Griezmann said: “Whatever’s going on with him, he always responds on the pitch. But there are other forwards, such as Gignac and Giroud, and Martial can also do a good job. We’ll see what happens in the upcoming two games. Karim is an important player for us.”

Griezmann also admitted his has found the step up from club to international football difficult at times.

“It’s different at international and club level. At Atletico you see the guys in the dressing room every day. Here it’s different because you only have a few days to prepare for matches. I try to do my best, although I haven’t always produced top performances. I know that I have to work even harder.”

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Former Real Madrid president Ramon Calderon has backed the club over plans to offer Gareth Bale a new contract.

Reports in the Daily Telegraph earlier this week said Los Blancos would look to extend the forward’s deal, which currently ends in 2019, by another two years to fend off interest from the likes of Manchester United and Chelsea.

Although hampered by injury this campaign, Bale has netted 15 goals in 19 league appearances and claimed another 9 assists. He goal against Sevilla on Sunday was his 43rd strike in La Liga for the club, making his the highest scoring Briton in Spanish league history.

“We are not a selling club. We are a buying club. We’ve got him and we’d like to have him for a long, long time. It’s not unusual. No doubt a lot of clubs in Europe would like to have him. He’s a top player,” Calderon was quoted by the BBC.

And he added: “He’s showing that here with Real Madrid. He’s scoring goals and playing quite well. He did it very well against Sevilla and everyone here is very happy, so it’s quite reasonable that they are offering him the contract extension.”

Bale was not selected for international duty by Wales boss Chris Coleman and is instead focusing on being 100% fit for the Clasico on April 2.

 

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Barcelona defender Gerard Pique says he enjoys provoking Real Madrid players and fans and admits it is part of the show between the two great rivals.

The Spain international has got under the skin of those associated with Los Blancos in recent seasons after a number of high profile incidents where he has mocked the Santiago Bernabeu side.

Last season he thanks singer Kevin Roldan for his part in Barcelona’s title success. Roldan had performed as Cristiano Ronaldo’s 30th birthday bash which took place hours after Los Blancos lost 4-0 to Atletico de Madrid in February – a result that many saw a the moment the pendulum swung in the La Liga race.

This campaign the ex-Manchester United man has had ongoing arguments with Sergio Ramos and Alvaro Arbeloa and also took great delight in Real’s expulsion from the Copa del Rey.

Speaking to GQ Magazine, Pique stated: “The Barca-Madrid rivalry is what has always kept us among the greatest clubs. That is why I like to incite that rivalry every once in a while. I am not trying to provoke just to provoke. I like that it gets a rise out of people and I consider that to also be part of the show. I don’t think of myself as more real than other folks. I am very clear about how my personality is and I behave accordingly.”

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Real Madrid defender Raphael Varane says he wants to win back his place in the side on a regular basis.

The French defender had featured consistently in the earlier stages of the season under Rafa Benitez but new boss Zinedine Zidane has preferred the tried and tested partnership of Pepe and Sergio Ramos in recent weeks.

With that pair suspended for the 4-0 win over Sevilla, Varane was given game time although he did give a penalty away.

Speaking to French sports paper L’Equipe, the centre back said he is ready to fight for his place in the Los Blancos team.

“I would like to play every game. The coach knows it. He makes his decisions. Whether he calls on me for several matches in succession or less regularly, I’m working to be ready,” he stated.

He also went on to say that his nice guy reputation is wrong and that he is a tough cookie when on the field.

He commented: “These cliches should stop. To be nice does not mean not having character… without character it’s difficult, even impossible, to last at Real. I’ve been playing against the best attackers in the world for the past five years and I’ve never chickened out.”

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Shkodran Mustafi
Shkodran Mustafi during a UEFA Europa League match - ANDER GILLENEA/AFP/Getty Images

Real Madrid and Barcelona have targeted German centre-back Shkodran Mustafi, according to reports from Transfer Market Web.

The 24-year-old has become one of the most solid defenders in La Liga and many believe he is ready to join one Europe’s giants. It seems highly unlikely that Valencia will be able to keep him in the summer transfer market.

Los Blancos are in big need of signing a centre-back, given the transfer ban threat and the possibility of both Pepe and Nacho Fernandez leaving the club at the end of the season.

Barcelona are also seeking for a defender, as Marc Bartra and Thomas Vermaelen have not convinced Luis Enrique and could be set to leave the Camp Nou.

Both Spanish giants battled last season to sign Valencia centre-back Nicolas Otamendi, but the Argentinian ended up moving to Manchester City. The Citizens offered 45 million euros and none of the Spanish clubs were ready to pay such a high amount.

Money could also be a problem in Mustafi’s case, as the player’s buy-out clause is 50 million euros and Valencia are not willing to accept less than that.

According to the latest Real Madrid transfer rumours, Florentino Perez refuses to pay such a high amount for a defender, and so does Barcelona. Bayern Munich are also interested in the Germany international and they could get near those 50 million.

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Real Madrid could make a move for Everton forward Romelu Lukaku this summer as the look to bolster their attacking options, according to reports.

British tabloid The Sun said the 10-time Champions League winners could offer up to 60 million euros for the striker, who has netted 25 goals for his side in all competition this season.

Lukaku, who previously played for Chelsea, has made no secret of his desire to play Champions League football, and the 22-year-old Belgium international has been linked with a number of top clubs including Arsenal and Manchester United.

Real are expected to go on a summer spending spree when the transfer window opens as they plan to improve their squad to make it more competitive next season. The club is also anticipating a two-window transfer ban for breaching rules over the signing of overseas players under the age of 18. They are allowed to sign players while an appeal is heard.

While the BBC trio of Karim Benzema, Gareth Bale and Cristiano Ronaldo are the first choice, it is felt by both boss Zinedine Zidane and the club’s directors that more competition is needed up front, with Jese Rodriguez being the only real cover at the moment.

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Real Madrid are unlikely to make a move for Manchester United goalkeeper David de Gea in the summer, according to reports.

German news agency DPA suggests the club’s hierarchy has been so impressed with current number one Keylor Navas that they are willing to hand him a new deal and put their faith in him long term.

The Costa Rica star has been one of the team’s outstanding performers this season. In his most recent match, against Sevilla on Sunday, he saved a first half penalty and kept a clean sheet as Real ran out 4-0 winners.

De Gea was on the verge on a move to Los Blancos last summer after months of speculation with Navas set to move to United as part of the deal. Indeed there were reports that Navas was waiting at the airport waiting for clearance to go before the deal collapsed spectacularly at the end of the transfer window. With all the paperwork signed and the fee agreed, the arrival of the documents at the Spanish FA after the deadline had passed meant the move was off.

De Gea, who used to play for Atletico de Madrid, went on to sign a new four-year deal at Old Trafford following the collapse of the transfer.

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Real Madrid are preparing to offer Gareth Bale a new deal to prevent any English clubs from signing him in the near future.

The Welshman, who signed for Los Blancos in 2013 from Tottenham Hotspur, earns a reported 300,000 euros a week and still has three-years to run on his current deal. But with sides such as Manchester United and Chelsea hovering, Real look set to offer him a new deal that would extend his time in the Spanish capital by a further two years.

The Daily Telegraph reported that bosses at the 10-time Champions League winners have been impressed with Bale’s workrate and his contribution to the side despite having suffered a number of injuries.

The 26-year-old netted in the 4-0 win over Sevilla on Sunday, his 15 goal of the campaign. He strike saw him overtake Gary Lineker as the highest scoring Brit in La Liga history with 43 strikes in total.

Bale enjoyed a spectacular opening season at the Santiago Bernabeu and scored in both the Champions League and Copa del Rey as Madrid won a famous double. His second second was tougher and there were a couple of incidents where fans went too far and blamed the forward for some high profile defeats prompting talk he could move back to the Premier League.

But he has got his head down and worked hard and is now working his way back to his best followed a series of calf issues this season.

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Real Madrid left back Marcelo says he has turned his dream into a reality after playing his 350th game for the club.

The defender made his milestone appearance in the 4-0 win over Sevilla at the weekend and was presented with a commemorative shirt afterwards by president Florentino Perez.

Speaking to the official club website, the Brazilian defender said he was delighted to have established himself at the club and wants to continue living his dream for many more years to come.

“I am very happy. When I arrived here it was unthinkable and I want to keep doing more. I thank my teammates and family because without them it would be impossible. I am turning a dream into a reality and I hope to do so for many more years. it is incredible but I want more and I don’t want to stop here. The President has congratulated me and given a shirt,” he stated.

Marcelo is third in the list of most appearances for the club by a foreign player, with legendary duo Roberto Carlos (527) and Alfredo di Stefano (396) ahead of him.

In his 10 years as a Los Blancos player, the Brazilian has won the Champions League, three La Liga titles, the Copa del Rey twice as well as the World Club Cup, European Super Cup and Spanish Supercopa.

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Marquinhos
Marquinhos controls the ball during a French L1 football match - FRANCK FIFE/AFP/Getty Images

Real Madrid and Manchester City are ready start a fight to sign Brazilian defender Marquinhos, according to reports from Transfermarkt.

The 22-year-old is one of the most talented defenders in Europe. However, he’s not getting all the minutes of action he needs at Paris Saint Germain, as Thiago Silva and David Luiz are the starting centre-backs.

Thus, Marquinho will seek to leave Paris next summer and many European giants see this as a great opportunity of signing a world-class defender at a relatively low cost.

Barcelona had shown a great interest in signing the Brazilian. In fact, Goal.com reported a few days ago that the player had already reached an agreement with the Azulgranas.

However, according to the latest transfer rumours, Real Madrid and Manchester City have made Marquinhos one of their priorities for next summer and they will fight to seduce the young centre-back.

PSG are also trying to convince Marquinhos to stay and sign a contract extension, but that seems highly unlikely to happen as long as both Silva and Luiz remain in the squad.

Chelsea and Bayern Munich have also been eyeing Marquinhos, so surely he will have plenty of offers to choose from at the end of the season.

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