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Casemiro

Real Madrid midfielder Casemiro has extended his contract with the club having signed a new deal to tie him down to Los Blancos until 2021.

The Brazilian is looking to establish himself in the first team after impressing while out on loan at Porto last season. Julen Lopetegui’s side was keen to secure a permanent deal but Real chiefs wanted him back in the Spanish capital this season.

The 23-year-old arrived at Real in January 2013 on loan and made 13 appearances for the side before being sent to Porto. He will now compete with the likes of Luka Modric, Isco and Toni Kroos for a place in the side.

After signing his contract alongside Florentino Perez, Casemiro spoke to the club’s official TV channel and website to express his delight at extending his stay with Real.

He stated: “It is a great feeling to get up every day and realise that you are a Real Madrid player. I want to make the most of this dream by working hard every day. I will definitely fight hard to return the affection that people are showing me. I want to triumph at Real Madrid.”

Asked about what it’s like to be surrounded by world class players such as Ronaldo, Bale and Ramos, the midfielder commented: “Being in the Real Madrid dressing room is an incredible feeling. I try to make the most of it every day that I leave my house in the morning by working very hard and making a real effort. I have not changed at all and nothing will change. I will continue motivated to work and enthusiastic about playing for Real Madrid.”

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Arsenal striker Olivier Giroud has said Real Madrid forward Karim Benzema would have been a welcome addition to the squad.

The 27-year-old was strongly linked with a 50 million euro switch to the Emirates Stadium over the summer but last week put an end to any transfer talk by insisting he is happy at the Santiago Bernabeu and feels at home in the Spanish capital.

The FA Cup winners have been on the search for a top class centre forward to compete with Giroud and the need for a striker has been highlighted at the start of this campaign with the Gunners failing to convert a whole host of chances in their first four games.

Speaking to beInSport, Giroud said he has belief that the current Arsenal squad can compete for major honours this season once again having won the FA Cup for the past two seasons in a row. But he added the addition of Benzema would have been a bonus.

“The coach [Wenger] knows very well what he is doing, and sometimes you should not buy just to buy, and sometimes there are not players out there that you need, who are available,” Giroud stated.

He added: “We have a very good squad, with quality, and I am sure that with this squad we can go very far. But it would have been good if Karim had signed too.”

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David de Dea’s proposed move from Manchester United to Real Madrid has collapsed at the last minute after the paperwork to register the deal with the relevant authorities was sent too late.

The long running saga has dragged on all summer but with both clubs at a stalemate. But as the end of the transfer window edged ever closer the de Gea story took new twists and turns.

It emerged on Monday afternoon the two clubs had decided to sit down and thrash out a deal. United had wanted a world record fee for a goalkeeper but Los Blancos were not prepared to pay over the odds as he has just one year left on his deal at Old Trafford.

Later on in the evening, Cadena SER reported Costa Rica goalkeeper Keylor Navas hadn’t flown home to be with his international team leading to speculation he would be part of the de Gea deal. Indeed that was the case and the two clubs appeared to have reached an agreement – 30 million euros and Keylor Navas is what it would take to bring de Gea to the Santiago Bernabeu.

With the contracts agreed, the clubs sent off the paperwork but it appears they missed the midnight deadline in Spain.

Manchester United and Real Madrid are both adamant the paperwork was sent in time but a decision now rests with the LFP and UEFA who will review the situation on Tuesday morning. More drama is yet to unfold in this deal!

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Real Betis midfielder Dani Ceballos has played down speculation linking him with a move to Real Madrid and says he is happy to stay with the Andalucian outfit.

The 19-year-old, who featured for his side in the 5-0 loss to the 10-time Champions League winners at the weekend, has been linked with a move to the Santiago Bernabeu by the Spanish media as Los Blancos look to continue their policy of snapping up the best young talent across Europe.

Ceballos played a key role in his side’s promotion to La Liga last season and also featured for the Spain Under-19 side that won the European Championship earlier this summer. He has just 12 months left on his deal with Betis and told AS he is happy to remain at Pep Mel’s side to continue his footballing education.

The youngster stated: “They are only rumours, what I want is to stay at Betis. I want to continue at Betis and enjoy these fans for many years. They trust me because I have never failed them,

And he continued: “I have always given everything for this shirt and I only think about returning all of the affection that I have received from the Beticos.”

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The deal taking Manchester United goalkeeper David de Gea to Real Madrid this transfer window still looks unclear with just hours to go before the window closes.

It’s been a saga that has run all summer long – Los Blancos have identified the shot stopper as the long-term successor to Iker Casillas who was sold to Porto. United want a world record fee for a goalkeeper but Real won’t pay over the odds as they can sign him on a free next summer.

The transfer window doesn’t close in England until Tuesday evening but in Europe it is sooner meaning today will be the day it happens.

As the deadline looms, the reports get more confusing – the press in the UK think a deal has been done an will be announced on Monday afternoon. The situation has been further complicated by rumours suggesting the Old Trafford club want Keylor Navas along with a fee in exchange for de Gea, but the Costa Rican doesn’t want to leave the Santiago Bernabeu.

It seems no one knows at the moment what the future holds for de Gea, including the player himself, who continues to be cast aside by United boss Louis van Gaal. All will be revealed soon!

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Real Madrid keeper Keylor Navas has said he felt confident about saving the penalty he faced in the win over Real Betis on Saturday.

Los Blancos won 5-0 with goals from Gareth Bale (2), James Rodriguez (2) and Karim Benzema. The Andalucian side though could have had a consolation when Raphael Varane fouled Jorge Molina in the box and Betis were awarded a penalty.

But diving to his left, Navas saved Castro’s effort – much to the delight of the home crowd.

Speaking to journalists about saving the penalty, the Costa Rican, who joined Real from Levante last summer, said: “Before the penalty I felt secure & confident enough to stop it. I thank all the fans who support us and have shown trust in me”

He added: “I train strongly with dedication to respond in the best way possible in every game and thanks God I managed to do that. Our big victory and saving the penalty makes me very happy. We won in a good way at our stadium & that fills us with confidence.”

Navas has started Madrid’s two opening La Liga fixtures so far this season but could make way if the club complete the signing of David de Gea by the transfer deadline on Tuesday.

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Real Madrid boss Rafa Benitez was on the verge of taking over at Premier League club West Ham in the summer before the La Liga giants came calling, according to owner David Sullivan.

The Hammers, who are set to move into London’s Olympic Stadium next season, were looking to replace Sam Allardyce with a high profile name to lead them in what will no doubt be an exciting new era for the east London side.

Speaking to the Evening Standard newspaper, Sullivan revealed Benitez was the man they ha targeted and so advanced were the talks that pretty much all the fine print in the contract had been sorted.

“Rafa Benitez was within three hours of signing for us. Every clause in his contract was agreed and then he went to Real Madrid,” he stated.

He added: “It was a real blow because he is a really experienced manager in England and he did really well in Italy. We had an agreement in place but we had to pick ourselves up, look who else was available and pick the best we could.”

In the end, the Upton Park side went for former Croatia boss Slaven Bilic – and the owner said everyone is happy with the final choice they made.

“Whoever you take is a gamble. The bottom line is that we have a manager. He has our 100 per cent support. We will support him in the transfer market. We like him.”

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Real Madrid full back Marcelo says the team can still improve following their 5-0 win over Real Betis.

Los Blancos got their first win of the campaign thanks to goals from Karim Benzema, Gareth Bale (2) and James Rodriguez (2). As well as scoring plenty of goals going forward, Los Blancos looked solid at the back and picked up their second clean sheet of the season -Keylor Navas even saved a penalty.

Speaking after the game, the Brazilian said the players were pleased but know they must work hard and keep improving.

“Today we showed good cutting edge in front of goal. We played really well both in attack and defence, but it’s the start of the season and we have to keep on improving. We have a really good squad, and everyone who comes in does a good job. The main thing is getting the win and continuing to pick up more,” he commented.

He also went on to single out praise for Navas, whose future could be in doubt if the club sign David de Gea from Manchester United.

“Keylor’s penalty save was the pick of the bunch for me. He’s a great goalkeeper and he has the confidence of all the players, as do Kiko Casilla and Rubén Yáñez. He’s a top keeper and I’m sure that he’s going to contribute a lot,” Marcelo commented.

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Karim Benzema

Karim Benzema has said Real Madrid are the best team in the world when they click and gel together.

Los Blancos defeated Real Betis in emphatic style on Saturday evening with the Frenchman scoring a goal and Gareth Bale and James Rodriguez both scoring two goals each in a 5-0 win.

Speaking to journalists after the game, the 27-year-old said Madrid can be an unstoppable force when they play well on the day and they are looking to do that on a frequent basis this campaign.

“Getting the goals was key. In the first 30 minutes we played with a lot of intensity, and when we play like that we’re the best around. I’m always focused on helping the team and giving my all, and if I can score or set up a team-mate for a goal then that’s great,” he stated.

And he added: “I feel good, I’m 100% confident and I want to help the team to win trophies. I have confidence in the coach and he has confidence in me. Starting the league season against teams like Sporting away is always tough, but we’re ready to carry on playing the way we did today. Scoring goals is good for the fans and for the players.”

The striker also said he has no concern over Ronaldo’s lack of goals so far this season – something some sections of the media have focused on in the aftermath of the win.

“Cristiano was missing a goal today but that doesn’t matter, he’s going to score 42 this year. He’s fine and in my view he’s the best player in the world,” Benzema commented.

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Rafa Benitez has hailed his side’s performance following the 5-0 win over Real Betis on Saturday saying all the ingredients he is looking for in a successful team were there.

Gareth Bale and James Rodriguez both scored twice while Karim Benzema marked his return from injury with a goal as Los Blancos got their first win of the new La Liga campaign.

At his press conference afterwards, Benitez said there is always room for improvement but he was pleased with what he’d witnessed.

“I’m delighted with the team’s performance. There’s always room for improvement, but I said the team would score and they proved me right,” he commented.

And he added: “The biggest positives from the game could be summed up from the first five minutes: intensity, aggression, attacking ambition, cutting edge…. The negatives were the two lapses of concentration that resulted in a chance for them and a penalty. But the positives far outweigh the negatives.”

When asked about how he wants his team to play this season, Benitez said there need to be a right balance between attack and defence and that the players were almost perfect in that regard against Pepe Mel’s team.

“More than it being what I’m looking for, it’s about the players’ characteristics. I’m looking for balance when we’re defending and more freedom in attack. There were spells when we had 80% of the possession. We have to continue on that track by playing well as a team, creating chances and putting them away,” he stated.

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