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Real Madrid defender Alvaro Arbeloa will leave the club next summer, according to claims by a number of Spanish journalists.

Alfredo Duro stated on TV show El Chiringuito that the right-back has decided to look for a new destiny after his relationship with Iker Casillas has deteriorated to a point that its creating a bad mood in the squad.

Various Spanish journalists have supported this theory.

The tense relationship between Arbeloa and Casillas was seen clear last Sunday in the match against Celta Vigo. The right-back was replaced in the second half and he shook hands with all of his team-mates seating on the bench except Casillas. Arbeloa didn’t even look at the keeper.

The former Liverpool man has been very criticised by the fans for his poor performances, and he’s frustrated with his current situation. Especially since Daniel Carvajal has settled as the starting right-back, forcing Arbeloa to seat on the bench.

The 31-year-old has spent the last five seasons at the Santiago Bernabeu, making 188 appearances and scoring four goals. He came from Liverpool ni 2009. He grew up at Los Blancos youth teams, but left the club in 2006 to start a successful career in England coached by Rafa Benitez.

Now he could meet Benitez again, as Napoli are the team who have shown the biggest interest in bringing him. Chelsea and Liverpool also kept tabs on him in the past.

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Marcelo has said the Real Madrid players can deal with the pressure on them ahead of the Champions League final.

Los Blancos take on city rivals Atletico de Madrid on May 24 in Lisbon. A win for Carlo Ancelotti’s side would secure their tenth European Cup, 12 years on from when they last won the tournament.

As each year passes they don’t win, the pressure on the players has grown to win the trophy. And Marcelo says the current crop at the Santiago Bernabeu have the experience and mental toughness to deal with it.

Los Blancos have overcome many difficult tests in the tournament so far this season having knocked out holders Bayern Munich along the way. They also saw off other Bundesliga outfits Schalke and Borussia Dortmund – last year’s finalists.

Speaking at a promotional event in Madrid on Wednesday, the 26-year-old defender, who has been included his Brazil’s squad for the World Cup this summer, said: “There is a lot of pressure and a lot of responsibility attached with playing in a European Cup final, but we are remaining calm and focused in order to enjoy ourselves and try to win the Tenth title.”

Marcelo has played 271 times for the club and scored 23 goals since he arrived in the Spanish capital eight years ago.

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Alvaro Morata

Juventus manager Antonio Conte claims Real Madrid’s Alvaro Morata “has the potential to become a world-class attacker” amid reports he wants to sign the forward.

The 21-year-old is highly rated in Spain but hasn’t been able to secure a spot in the starting eleven at the Santiago Bernabeu this season and fell behind Jese Rodriguez in the pecking order in Carlo Ancelotti’s squad.

The Italian champions have been strongly linked to the Spanish Under-21 international in recent months and could make a move before his contract expires next summer.

“Morata is a great player and has a big future ahead of him,” Conte told Madrid-based sports daily, Marca.

“I can say with certainty that he has the potential to become a world-class attacker. However, he is a Real Madrid player at this point.”

Morata has featured 22 times in all competitions this season but has only played the full 90-minutes on two occasions, something that could persuade him to join the Serie A giants. There would be no shortage of interest for the forward, who has also been linked with a move to Arsenal.

A move away from Madrid could come down to whether Carlo Ancelotti is able bring in another forward this summer, with rumours suggesting Luis Suarez is his number one target.

 

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Angel di Maria

English Premier League side Arsenal are preparing to make a big money move for Real Madrid attacker Angel Di Maria, according to reports in the Spanish press.

According to Spanish sports daily Marca, the Rosario-born wideman is another big name player that Arsenal feel will improve their squad to make a title challenge.

It would be the second time that the Gunners have made an audacious move on Real after their £42.5m move for German star Mesut Özil last summer.

Ligue Un side Monaco are also showing an interest, but Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger, despite failing to sign the Argentine in 2007 when he was at Benfica, remains confident that Di Maria would come to the Emirates.

The winger, 26, has been successful since his move across Iberia to the Spanish capital, but has seen his game time decrease since the arrival of Gareth Bale, signed from Arsenal’s arch-rivals Tottenham for £85m last August.

Carlo Ancelotti however is still a fan of Di Maria, as the attacker does often get selected for the big games with his work rate and pace alongside his technical ability, but should a replacement be lined up, may decide to let the Argentine depart the Bernabeu for the Emirates.

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The Collins Column

Vicente del Bosque’s decision to leave Real Madrid midfielder Isco out of the Spanish World Cup squad has caused quite the shock in the country’s capital city, but the young midfielder’s doubts about his big money move to the Santiago Bernabeu may have been proved right.

The 22-year-old former Malaga man was the Golden Boy winner two years ago – the best young player in Europe – and looked destined to take his career however he wanted.

When Madrid came calling last summer, Isco had doubts about the big money move, concerned that reduced playing time at the nine-time European Cup winners would jeopardise his World Cup hopes.

It has all gone so pear-shaped for the youngster in just nine months. Coming off the back of the European Championship win with the Spanish Under-21 team last summer, the attacking midfielder became an instant hero at the start of the season, netting the winner in Madrid’s season opener against Real Betis, and contributing other important goals and assists.

But Gareth Bale’s return from injury saw Los Blancos boss Carlo Ancelotti tweak his 4-4-2 formation to 4-3-3. The decision was made to accommodate Bale, Benzema and Cristiano – the BBC as they are known in Spain. There would always be victims in the tactical switch, and Isco was the main one.

Comfortable with both feet, and with an eye for goal, Isco is at his best in a free role in the centre, where he is able to pull the strings. But with such a dominant strike force, two of Xabi Alonso, Luka Modric and Sami Khedira are the preferred options to anchor the midfield, along with the pacey Argentine winger Angel di Maria.

Ancelotti went on record saying Isco had the ability to adapt his game similar to how Clarence Seedorf did at AC Milan, but the youngster has only been picked when others were injured, or in relatively meaningless games. When he has played, he’s looked rusty – a lack of consistent football means he’s been off the pace at times.

There were, of course, other surprise selections in the squad Diego Lopez has been overlooked, perhaps so del Bosque can avoid the questions Ancelotti faces on a weekly basis at club level about whether Iker Casillas or Lopez should start. And despite playing six games in the World Cup qualifying campaign, Alvaro Arbeloa is not included.  Barcelona’s Marca Bartra was left out despite a very good season with Los Cules. But the biggest surprise was Isco. Now it’s over to del Bosque to prove he made the right call.

Will the squad be able to defend the trophy they won four years ago? It’s possible, although La Roja are only fourth favourites to win the 2014 World Cup in Brazil.  Check the 2014 World Cup Finalists Betting Odds from William Hill, and you will see that Spain are the fourth favourites with odds of 7/1. Let’s check out their performance in their first match against Netherlands on the June 13.

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Daniel Carvajal with Bayer Leverkusen

Real Madrid right-back Daniel Carvajal has said he is only thinking about the Champions League final at the moment, and that any worry he has about making the cut for Spain’s World Cup squad is at the back of his mind.

The 22-year-old was named in Vicente del Bosque’s 30-man squad earlier this week, but with three right-backs included, it is expected that one will be cut when the final list is announced on May 25, the day after the Champions League final.

Carvajal is competing with Atletico de Madrid’s Juanfran and Chelsea’s Cesar Azpilicueta, and many pundits expect the former Bayer Leverkussen man to be dropped from the squad due to his relative inexperience compared to the other two.

But speaking at an event in Madrid on Wednesday, Carvajal said he is looking forward to the Champions League final and will deal with everything else once that game is out of the way.

“Now I’m trying to make the most of the moment. I’m delighted to be part of the provisional list for the World Cup and will do everything I can to make it into the definitive list, but the most important thing right now is the Champions League final,” he said.

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The front pages of the sports papers in Spain are dominated by Sevilla’s success in the Europea League final last night, defeating Benfica 4-2 on penalties to win the competition for the third time in the last nine years.

But there is still plenty of news about Real Madrid on the inside pages as the Champions League final moves ever closer.

Marca revealed detailed plans of how fans can best enjoy Lisbon when they travel there on May 24. The city will have two different fan zones, one for each club, with Los Blancos occupying the area including Plaza Rossio and Plaza dos Restauradores. The hotel where the players will stay is just 1.2kms from the fan zone – the Tivoli – one of the most luxurious hotels in the city.

Gareth Bale has been talking about the chance of winning La Decima for Real Madrid. At a promotional event, the Welshman said it is not just a dream for the fans, but for the players and staff too, and they will all be giving 100% to bring the trophy back to the Santiago Bernabeu.

In good news for Madridistas, Cristiano Ronaldo and Karim Benzema trained normally yesterday, suggesting they will both be fine for the final game of the season against Espanyol and the big match itself a week later.

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The signing of a striker is a priority for Real Madrid for the next summer transfer market. Although Luis Suarez is the fans favourite to become Karim Benzema’s new attacking couple, the club directors are studying different options.

One of those prospective players is Real Madrid homegrown forward Rodrigo Moreno. Portuguese sports newspaper Record has claimed Los Blancos might be eyeing a move to bring the Spaniard back to the Santiago Bernabeu.

Rodrigo has had a brilliant season at Benfica, scoring 18 goals in 25 appearances to help the Lisbon club win the Portuguese Primeira Liga.

The 23-year-old would adapt easily to Real, since he already knows the club very well. Plus, he would be comfortable with the substitute striker role. That would give him an little advantage in the race to become the next Madrid’s forward.

Rodrigo has been a key player in Spain national team youth teams, scoring 24 goals in 33 appearances and winning the European Under-21 Championship in 2013.

Many big European clubs have set their eyes on him, although in case he left Benfica he would most likely prefer to return to his childhood team.

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Real Madrid midfielder Asier Illarramendi has been linked to a potential transfer to F.C. Porto over the summer according to Portuguese newspaper A Bola.

The 24-year-old Spaniard has suffered through a lack of form and has struggled to receive first team minutes since coming to Madrid following the success of Spain’s 2013 UEFA European Football Championship campaign.

New Porto boss Julen Lopetegui has some history with Illarramendi, having stepped down as manager of Spain’s U21 coach to take the Porto job. The 47-year-old manager offers Illarramendi a fresh start with a new and smaller club as well as a familiar face.

Illarramendi has registered 48 appearances and 3 goals in all competitions for Real this season, and looks set for a start in the Champions League final to replace the suspended Xabi Alonso.

Having come to Madrid in the same transfer window as Isco, Illarramendi has not seen the same success as his fellow young midfielder.

It remains to be seen if Porto can afford to steal Illarramendi from the Bernabéu. Real Madrid spent €32 million to pry the defensive midfielder from Real Sociedad and they would like to recover as much of that as possible.

Porto finished the 2013/2014 campaign a disappointing third in Primeira Liga, 13 points behind champion Benfica.

 

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Luis Suarez’ position at Liverpool is set to be tested once again this summer by interest from Spanish giants Real Madrid.

Reports from the The Metro suggest that Los Blancos, who have constantly been linked with the Uruguayan hitman in the past 12 months, will finally make a concrete offer of 80 million euros – around £65m.

Suarez has elevated his game to a whole new level in the past season, scoring an incredible 30 goals while delivering 25 assists as Liverpool fell just short of winning the Premier League.

Although the season has assured Champions League football on Merseyside next year, Suarez, who signed a new long-term deal last summer, will still need convincing that the club will continue to invest and push for major honours.

Real Madrid always have high expectations and club president Florentino Perez, although pleased with the output provided from Karim Benzema this season, would prefer a bigger name to lead the line next season.

Benzema has just one year left on his current deal in the Spanish capital, and would be offloaded, or used as part of an exchange deal, were Suarez to join the club.

Los Blancos, after missing out on the chance to win the La Liga title, will now turn their attention to the 24th of May when they face bitter rivals Atletico Madrid in the Champions League final.

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