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Angel di Maria

Real Madrid will be offered 56 million euros for Angel Di Maria by English giants Manchester United, say The Express.

However, United will face strong competition for the Los Blancos winger, from a Paris Saint-Germain team who are looking to add to their strong attacking core.

Argentinian Di Maria is currently facing an uphill battle in his attempt to regain fitness for the World Cup final this Sunday.

Di Maria initially suffered a thigh injury during his side’s quarter final against Belgium, which forced him to miss Wednesday night’s semi-final victory against the Netherlands.

After Arsenal’s recent capture of Alexis Sanchez strengthened their team immensely, United have been forced into action as they look to rebuild quickly after failing to qualify for next season’s Champions League.

New Manchester United manager Louis Van Gaal is said to be a keen admirer of the winger, and would ideally like to also add Mats Hummels.

Di Maria’s position became less secure in the Madrid capital after the addition of Gareth Bale last summer, with the two vying for the same place in the first team.

Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti decided to utilise Di Maria in a central midfield role, which he performed well, but if he moves he will likely expect a return to his favoured right-wing spot.

The Argentinian is also aiming to make history this weekend. If Argentina win the World Cup, Di Maria will become the tenth man ever to win both the Champions League and World Cup in the same year.

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Madrid mayor Ana Botella has confirmed Los Blancos legend Alfredo di Stefano will be honoured by having a street named after him.

The 88-year-old died on Monday in hospital in the Spanish capital having suffered a heart attack on Saturday, a day after his birthday.

Players, fans, and figures from Spanish royalty and politicans paid tribute to di Stefano on Tuesday as the filed past his coffin at the Santiago Bernabeu on Tuesday. He was buried in a cemetery in Madrid on Wednesday following a private funeral just for the family.

Di Stefano won five European Cups with Los Blancos and eight La Liga titles. He scored 418 goals in 510 games in 11 glorious years in Madrid and won the Ballon d’Or twice. In 2000, he was appointed as honorary president of Real Madrid.

Ana Botella, the mayor or Madrid, was one of those to pay her respects to di Stefano this week, and said plans were in place to have a street named after the legendary striker.

She told the club’s website: “[Di Stefano] made Real Madrid great and took the name of Spain’s capital around the world. The city authority is going to propose to name a public space or a street in his honour.”

Newly-crowned King Felipe VI also visited the makeshift chapel at the stadium and called di Stefano “a great among greats”.

“First, I would like to pass my condolences on to his family, to the Real Madrid family, to the club and to the whole of Spanish football,” Felipe said. “He is a one-off, who made football into an art. He was an extraordinary personality and has our eternal admiration and gratitude. A great among greats.”

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Former Real Madrid defender Fernando Hierro has been named as the new assistant manager to Carlo Ancelotti, the club has confirmed.

The move comes after club legend Zinedine Zidane left the role at the end of last season to take over as boss at Real Madrid Castilla as he looks to carve out a managerial career for himself.

Hierro is a Los Blancos hero himself, having made 416 appearances for the club during a glorious playing career laden with trophies. The 46-year-old lifted five La Liga titles and three Champions League trophies during his time at the Santiago Bernabeu.

A statement on the club’s official website announced the appointment of the ex-Spain international to replace Zidane. “The Real Madrid CF announce that Fernando Hierro has joined the sports structure as first team coach, replacing Zinedine Zidane,” it read.

Ancelotti’s other assistant, Paul Clement, remains in his role at the club. The Englishman has worked with Ancelotti since their time at Chelsea when the Italian was in charge of the west London club.

Zidane was part of the coaching staff last season in which the team won the Copa del Rey and Champions League. He is now in charge of the second-string, Real Madrid Castilla, who were relegated to Spain’s third tier last term. His first training session with his new charges will take place on Monday morning.

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The main news in the two Madrid-based sports papers today is the return of Fernando Hierro to the club as Carlo Ancelotti’s assistant manager. Los Blancos had been looking for a new right-hand man for the Italian after Zinedine left his role last month to take charge of Real Madrid Castilla. Both Marca and AS dedicate plenty of column inches to Hierro and look back at his playing career in which he won five titles and three European Cups with the club.

Elsewhere, there were be a Real Madrid player winning the World Cup on Sunday night. Either Sami Khedira or Angel di Maria will lift the trophy at the Maracana in Brazil. Whoever wins will join an exclusive list of nine players to have won the European Cup and World Cup in the same season. Seven of those on the list are German players. In 1974, Bayern Munich lifted the European Cup after defeating Atletico de Madrid. Schwarzenbeck, Kapellman, Maier, Muller, Beckenbauer, Breitner and Hoeness went on to lift the World Cup weeks later.

Real Madrid have had two players to achieve the same feat. Having won the European Cup in 1998, Christian Karembeu was part of the France team that lifted the World Cup on home soil. Four years later, Roberto Carlos won the Champions League before being part of the Brazil side that saw off Germany in the World Cup final.

It’s been a good few days for Cristiano Ronaldo, who has picked up more personal awards. The Portugal captain has been named as the winner of the Trofeo di Stefano by Marca as the best player in La Liga last season – the third year in a row he has won the award. A panel of experts on ESPN has also named him alongside Rafa Nadal as the best athlete in the world.

Finally, Portuguese paper O Jogo says Benfica are keen to wrap up the loan signing of Real Madrid’s Brazilian midfielder Casemiro.

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Real Madrid are about to make a 40-million-euros bid to sign Paris Saint-Germain’s midfielder Marco Verratti, according to Italian newspaper La Gazzetta dello Sport.

Los Blancos are seeking for at least one more man to complete their midfield line -after Toni Kroos arrival has been secured- and the Italian is one of Carlo Ancelotti’s favourites. La Gazzetta claims Verratti’s agent Donato di Campli has been in talks with Real since the beginning for June, and the player would be willing to move to Madrid, but PSG will not let him go easily.

Pepe to Monaco?

French newspaper Le Parisien has published Pepe might be included as part of the deal to bring Monaco’s Radamel Falcao to the Santiago Bernabeu. With Alvaro Morata moving to Turin, Los Merengues are in need of a striker, and they have started approaching the possible candidates.

Although Monaco were not willing to sell the Colombian, they might have set their eyes in Pepe to reinforce their defence, and that could make them change their mind about the striker.

Casemiro too expensive for Inter

Real Madrid midfielder Casemiro was very close to signing for Inter Milan, but Los Blancos reluctance to reduce his price tag might have forced the Italians to break off negotiations.

Los Blancos are demanding 12 million euros plus a buy-back clause, but that seems to be too much for Inter. Thus, the Neroazzurri might have started considering a loan move, despite their first intention was to get a permanent deal.

* Follow us on Twitter for all Real Madrid news.

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Real Madrid defender Sergio Ramos has said the club has lost an icon following the death of Alfredo di Stefano.

The 88-year-old died on Monday after suffering a heart attack at the weekend.

Figures from the sports world, Spanish royalty, and fans alike have paid tribute to the man who scored 418 goals in 510 games for Los Blancos as they filed past his coffin at the Santiago Bernabeu on Tuesday.

Speaking after paying his last respects at the stadium in the heart of Madrid, Ramos said he had some great memories with di Stefano. He also echoed a number of other tributes made in which di Stefano was remember for his warm and welcoming nature.

“We have lost an icon, an emblem, a big part of this crest of the club,” Ramos said. “He had a very open way with him. I have had some wonderful moments with him, like the day I was first introduced into the club.”

The Spain international also dedicated his goal in the Champions League final to di Stefano, and said his presence was felt in the dressing room and on the field on that famous night in Lisbon in May.

“Di Stéfano is the most significant player Real Madrid have ever had. The words “give up” have never been part of his vocabulary and this has been instilled into all of us. In my header in the Champions League final, there was something of the spirit of Di Stéfano,” Ramos stated.

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A group of Real Madrid directors has arrived to Munich to negotiate Toni Kroos transfer with Bayern, Spanish newspaper El Confidencial has claimed.

Los Blancos have already reached an agreement with the player, according to reports. The German international would sign for five seasons, with a six-million-euros salary per year.

Pep Guardiola has also agreed to let the midfielder go, and now it’s time for the two clubs to negotiate the amount of the transfer.

Thus, Florentino Perez has sent General Director Jose Angel Sanchez together with one of Real Madrid’s lawyers to lead the first talks with Bayern’s directors.

The German club are reportedly open to settle for 25 million euros, since Kroos contract ends next year. Los Merengues believe that is a fair amount, so negotiations should not last very long.

Kroos recently told the press he has already made a decision about his future. “Bayern knows it, and I will announce it after the World Cup,” he said.

The 24-year-old has been a guaranteed starter for Germany during the World Cup, and was also a crucial piece of Guardiola’s Bayern last season, making 51 appearances and scoring four goals.

* Get all the latest Real Madrid news on our Twitter account @realmadridnewsw

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Angel di Maria’s Argentina will play in the World Cup final on Sunday after they saw off Holland 4-2 on penalties. The match itself, which ended 0-0 after extra time, was possibly the worst of the tournament with both sides appearing to be too scared to lose rather than wanting to go for the win.

Real Madrid winger di Maria took no part because he is sidelined through injury and is likely to miss the showpiece event too.

In Real Madrid news, the main story is the continued coverage of Alfredo di Stefano’s death. The former Los Blancos striker, who won five European Cups and eight La Liga titles during an incredible 11 years as a player at the club, died at the aged of 88 on Saturday. The honorary president of Real Madrid was buried in the Almudena cemetery in the Spanish capital yesterday after a private, family funeral.

In other news, Alvaro Morata is set to sign a four-year deal with Juventus very shortly having ironed out the final parts of his personal terms with the Italian champions.

And according to Marca, PSG are set to offer Real Madrid 60 million euros for di Maria. The winger could be on his way out of the club should Los Blancos decide to pursue james Rodriguez, and the French side want him in Paris. Manchester United are also monitoring the situation.

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Real Madrid are in mourning after Alfredo di Stefano passed away at 88 years old. The Argentinian will always be remembered as one of the best players in football history, but very few people know why he was nicknamed ‘La Saeta Rubia’ –the Blond Saeta.

He received that nickname in his early years as a footballer, when he used to play in his native Argentina. After having played for Huracan, Alfredo returned to River Plate, the club where he had grown up. His first full season with the red-striped team was spectacular as he scored 27 goals in 30 matches, helping River to become champions of the league.

Obviously, Di Stefano’s great performances didn’t go without notice in the Argentinian press. Journalist Roberto Neuberger, who used to work at El Grafico, decided to nickname him ‘Saeta Rubia’. A ‘saeta’ is a kind of arrow, used in ancient times to be fired with bows or crossbows, something that defined Di Stefano’s characteristics pretty well.

His speed on the field was decisive in many games, and his 27 goals proved him to be River Plate’s main weapon. The adjective ‘Rubia’ –blonde- referred to the colour of his hair.

This is how Di Stefano explained how he got the nickname: “It was a journalist from El Grafico who started calling me that, because I was blonde and very fast, and since River was characterised by a slow and serene football, I changed their style. I was a striker who would play very deep up front, but I would also run the wings, so they gave me that nickname back then and I have had it for all my life.”

The fans also liked that nickname. In fact, River Plate’s crowd would sing this song in every game: “Socorro, socorro. Ahí viene la Saeta con su propulsión a Chorro” –Help! Help! Here comes the Saeta with his jet propulsion.” He also brought that nickname to Real Madrid where, just like in River, he made history.

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Real Madrid will have a representative in the World Cup final after Sami Khedira’s Germany humiliated hosts Brazil 7-1 last night.

Brazil, who included Los Blancos left-back Marcelo in the line-up, went into the game on the back of a tidal wave of emotion in their home country, and with the motivation to lift the World Cup in the absence of the injured Neymar.

But their dreams were shattered as they found themselves 5-0 down inside 30 minutes, which included a devastating spell that saw Joachim Low’s side score four goals in just six minutes of action. Sami Khedira got himself on the score sheet, while Toni Kroos – who will likely be playing his football at the Santiago Bernabeu next season – also netted twice.

The score line made history for a number of reasons. It was the heaviest defeat in a World Cup semi-final ever, it was Brazil’s biggest ever loss, and their first defeat in a competitive match on home soil for almost 40 years. Miroslav Klose also become the highest goal scoring player in World Cup finals matches, moving ahead of former Real Madrid striker Ronaldo to stand out on 16 goals alone.

Thomas Muller opened the scoring on 11 minutes, and it all unreeled after that. Klose (23’), Kroos (24’,26’) and Khedira (29’) all found the back of the net as Marcelo and his fellow defenders put in a performance that they and their fans across the country could not have imagined even in their worst nightmares.

Germany did not let up in the second half, with substitute Schurrle adding two more. Oscar scored late on for the hosts but it wasn’t even of any consolation to Brazil’s supporters who turned on their team with a vicious torrent of abuse at the end of the game. Much soul searching will go on in the South American country, and many of the squad who took part in the humiliating experience will unlikely wear the famous yellow jersey again.

Germany meanwhile will sit back and watch the semi-final tonight between Argentina and Holland. Angel di Maria will play no part having been ruled out through injury.

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