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Real Madrid have signed Santos youngster Willian Jose on loan for the remainder of this season, with the striker arriving in Spain in a similar deal to the one that initially brought Brazilian midfielder Casemiro to the club last year.

The 22-year old will link up with Real Madrid B where he’ll be hoping to impress in the Segunda Division and earn a permanent deal in the summer. While Real Madrid aren’t struggling for goals near the top of the La Liga table, and still a great bet with Betfair.com for this season’s title, it’s a different story for the club’s reserve side.

Willian will join a Real Madrid B team bottom of Spain’s second tier, and the striker will be looking to help turn the team’s fortunes around after a dismal first half of the season that sees them among the favourites with Betfair to be relegated. The striker first came to Real’s attention after his starring role in Brazil’s 2011 U20 World Cup campaign, scoring twice and helping the Betfair favourites to the title.

A Madrid statement confirmed the move: “Willian Jose da Silva, 22-year-old striker who played in the last Campeonato Brasileiro with Santos, has signed a contract which will see him join Real Madrid Castilla on loan until June of this year. The club reserve the option to buy.”

The former Brazil Under-20 star, who spent time with Brazilian giants Santos, Gremio and Sao Paulo before his move to Europe, will be able to look at compatriot Casemiro for inspiration. The midfielder arrived at Real from Sao Paulo last year in a similar deal to Willian’s, going on to earn a four-year deal and break into Carlo Ancelotti’s first team squad this season.

(Article provided by Chris Peters, with thanks)

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Real Madrid goalkeeper Iker Casillas has said he is happy with setting a new club record for the most amount of minutes without conceding a goal.

The World Cup winner, who has found himself in and out of the side in the past 12 months, kept another clean sheet in Madrid’s 1-0 win over Espanyol in the second leg of the Copa del Rey quarter-final tie. The 32-year-old has now gone 682 minutes without conceding, beating Pacu Buyo’s record in 1994/95, when he wasn’t breached for 652 minutes.

As well as setting his own personal record, Madrid also kept their eighth consecutive clean sheet, a new record. And they completed a perfect month of January with eight wins out of eight.

Speaking to journalists after the game, Casillas said the defence was doing a fine job. He added that they need to keep working as hard as they are for the rest of the campaign and keep the momentum going.

“I’m happy because if we have set a record it is because we are doing things well. We won the tie without conceding a goal and the team was phenomenal at the back. We are not giving our opponents any chances, and in general the team should be given top marks in defence. The Copa del Rey is important for me because the coach is giving me the opportunity to play in it. Now we have to think about the league and put pressure on those above us,” he stated.

When asked about the semi-final against either Athletic Bilbao or Atletico de Madrid, Casillas responded saying whoover Los Blanco face, it will be a tricky tie.

“I hope to keep the streak going because the good part is coming. Both Athletic Bilbao and Atlético Madrid deserve to be where they are in the table. They play good football and it will be a very good tie. We also have a big match this weekend,” he said.

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Real Madrid home-grown goalkeeper Kiko Casilla, now at Espanyol, might return to his boyhood club next summer, according to Spanish newspaper Marca.

The 27-year-old is having the best season of his career, including two fantastic performances against Los Blancos in La Liga and the Copa del Rey.

The fact that either Diego Lopez or Iker Casillas will leave the Santiago Bernabeu next summer has forced Real directors to start seeking for a new keeper. Casilla seems like the best option in all senses, as he knows the club well and his signing would be very cheap, given that Madrid still owns 50 per cent of the player’s rights.

Marca reports that, although Casilla’s buy-out clause is 20 million euros, Espanyol would be forced to reduce it, since the keeper’s contract will expire in June 2015. With Real only required to pay half of that amount, the final price for Los Blancos could be around five million euros.

Casilla left Real Madrid in 2007 to join Espanyol. However, he has struggled to settle as the starting goalkeeper until this season. He’s made 21 appearances so far in La Liga, conceding 27 goals.

* Follow Real Madrid News on Twitter

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Florentino Perez, Real Madrid president

Florentino Perez, Real Madrid’s president, has issued a strongly worded statement denying any involvement in the legal and media storm surrounding Neymar’s transfer from Santos to Barcelona last summer.

Catalan radio station RAC1 claimed on Monday evening that Perez was the driving force behind the investigation into the financing of the deal. Barcelona member Jordi Cases has taken legal action against the club over the deal.

It emerged last week that the cost of the transfer was much more than the 57 million euros Barcelona claimed they paid at the time. Neymar’s parents received a sum of 34 million euros, while Santos only 14 million of the reported 120 million actually paid. Vast somes of money were also spent on paying agent fees, marketing and wages.

The revelation saw Barcelona president Sandro Rosell step down from his role, to be replaced on an interim basis by Josep Bartomeu. And Perez denied he nor Real Madrid had anything to do with the embarrassing situation for the La Liga champions, and demanded an immediate retraction from the radio station and journalist involved.

A statement on Real Madrid’s official website read: “In the light of the serious allegations made last night on RAC 1 by the journalist Xavi Bosch, the president of Real Madrid, Florentino Perez, wishes to make the following statement:

“1. The allegations are totally false and they absurdly try to involve the president of Real Madrid in the legal proceedings started by a member of FC Barcelona against the club’s then president, Sandro Rosell.

“2. The president of Real Madrid demands that the journalist who made these false allegations issue a clear and immediate rectification on the same radio station.

“3. If this rectification is not made, the president of Real Madrid will sue this journalist in order to protect his honour, his privacy and his reputation. To this end, he has instructed his lawyers to study the content of these allegations.”

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There is plenty of coverage of Real Madrid’s 1-0 win over Espanyol at the Santiago Bernabeu in this morning’s papers.

A goal from Jese was enough to win on the night, and secure and overall 2-0 win, sending Madrid through to the semi-final of the Copa del Rey. The result also saw Madrid break a number of club records.

And one of those is on the front on Marca today – Iker Casillas has the new club record for minutes without conceding a goal. His clean sheet last night means he has not conceded a goal in 682 minutes of first team football. The previous record was held by Paco Buyo, who went 658 minutes without letting in a goal in the 1994/95 season.

The victory also meant Real Madrid surpassed the club record for consecutive clean sheets. In the same season Buyo set his record, Madrid went seven games without conceding. The current side have gone eight without being breached – an have won every single match in 2014 so far.

AS leads with Jese on its front cover this morning. The young striker admitted after the game he hopes to get more opportunities in the first team and has set himself a target to score 10 goals this season.

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Real Madrid eased into the semi-finals of the Copa del Rey, closing a perfect first month of 2014 with another victory and another clean sheet. Los Blancos have won all their eight matches this year without conceding a single goal.

The victory earned in the first leg in Barcelona gave Los Merengues a lot of confidence, and Jese’s early goal made it almost impossible for Espanyol to find any options.

It didn’t take Los Blancos long to take the lead and get a two-goal advantage in the tie. Xabi Alonso sent a brilliant cross for Jese, who controlled it excellently and finished it with prowess at the near post.

Javier Aguirre had lined-up a very conservative eleven, with a five-man midfield line, hoping to stop Real’s quality playmakers. However, that didn’t work and Los Merengues controlled the game at every moment.

The could have easily scored the second in the following minutes, but goalkeeper Kiko Casilla was alert to the danger and saved Ronaldo’s and Di Maria’s chances.

With his side showing little believe in their possibilities, Aguirre tried to change things bringing young striker Jhon Cordoba into play. Nevertheless, with Espanyol trying to reach Iker Casillas’ box, Real found more spaces to seal their victory.

Again Casilla denied a powerful effort by Ronaldo, and in the next play the Portuguese sent his shot wide of the post after a brilliant play by Isco.

Christian Stuani came in to form a striker trio with Cordoba and Sergio Garcia, in a desperate effort to score one goal that would give Espanyol some hopes of qualifying for the semi-finals. However, everything was over when Victor Sanchez was shown a second yellow card and the visitors were down to ten men.

Ronaldo could have doubled Madrid’s lead, but he didn’t have a good night, as once again he sent his effort wide of the post from close range.

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Real Madrid Espanyol match preview

Real Madrid will seek to seal a perfect run in the month of January as they face Espanyol in the second leg of the Copa del Rey quarter-finals.

Los Blancos have won all their seven games so far in 2014 without conceding a single goal. The 1-0 advantage obtained in the first leg in Barcelona should favour their qualification for the semi-finals.

Carlo Ancelotti is expected to make changes in the starting line-up after a very intense month for the regular starters, some of whom have played seven matches in only 20 days.

Thus, Fabio Coentrao will very likely give Marcelo some rest, while Asier Illarramendi and Isco could also make it among the starting eleven replacing Xabi Alonso and Karim Benzema. Gareth Bale’s absence due to physical problems will also allow Jese to feature from the beginning.

Los Merengues have not conceded a goal at the Santiago Bernabeu since November 9th. Espanyol will have to end the hosts impressive defensive run in order to have some options in the tie.

The visitors need at least one goal to force the over-time, but it doesn’t seem like Javier Aguirre will line-up an offensive team. In fact, he could opt for a five-men midfield line, leaving only one striker up front.

Former Real Madrid goalkeeper Kiko Casilla has been a key man for Espanyol in their recent clashes against Los Blancos and he will surely look to make an impact on this game as well, especially after being linked with a move back to the Santiago Bernabeu next summer.

Possible line-ups:

Real Madrid: Lopez; Arbeloa, Pepe, Ramos, Coentrao; Modric, Illarramendi, Di Maria; Jese, Isco, Ronaldo.

Espanyol: Casilla; Rodriguez, Moreno, Sidnei, Capdevila; Stuani, Sanchez, Fernandez, Pizzi; Garcia, Cordoba.

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Real Madrid take on Espanyol in the second leg of the Copa del Rey quarter-final tonight, and the odds are stacked heavily against the visitors.

The Periquitos have lost twice to Los Blancos in recent weeks, both 1-0, and both at Cornell El Prat – in La Liga, and in the Copa del Rey. Tonight, they face a huge task to qualify for the semi-finals – they must beat Real Madrid at the Santiago Bernabeu – something they have not done in 18 years.

Not since 1996 have the Catalan side triumphed in the Spanish capital. For that reason, it comes as no surprise the visitors are ranked as 25/1 outsiders to progress. Carlo Ancelotti’s men, currently on a 21-match unbeaten run in all competitions, can be found at 1/12 for the win – so not much value in that market!

Despite the loss of Gareth Bale to injury, Los Blancos are not short on firepower. Karim Benzema has scored three goals in his last six appearances, and in his team’s last two Copa del Rey matches. He has odds of 3/1 to open the scoring tonight.

Ronaldo can never be discounted, and is indeed the favourite to score first at 8/5. The Portugal striker has been in sensational form to date this campaign, and bookies have him at 5/1 to score a hat-trick. It could be a tempting bet considering the visitors have only kept two clean sheets in the last nine games.

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Italian club Lazio have reportedly got in touch with Real Madrid to discuss a possible loan move of Alvaro Morata, Antonio Rozzi or Jese Rodriguez before the January transfer window closes, according to Corriere dello Sport.

The Roma-based team are in desperate need of a number 9, and they have put Morata in first place on their wish list. However, Carlo Ancelotti has already affirmed than he won’t let the youngster leave, and Morata himself has revealed he doesn’t want to move.

Moreover, if Real would finally agree to loan Morata so he can get more minutes of play until the end of the season, the 21-year-old would have better options to choose from, such as Arsenal, Liverpool, Juventus and Inter Milan.

Since that transfer seems very unlikely to happen, Lazio hope Los Merengues would agree to loan Rozzi, who plays for Real Madrid Castilla.

The Italian forward grew up at Lazio, and he moved to Madrid last summer. However, he hasn’t played for the last couple of months, so his return to Rome for the second half of the season could be a good option for the two parties.

Corriere dello Sport claims Lazio have already asked Real to send Rozzi on loan back to his childhood team, in case Morata’s deal is not possible.

According to Calciomercato.com, Lazio have also asked about Jese Rodriguez’s situation, but Real won’t let the Canary Islands-born forward leave under any circumstances since he has become a crucial part of the squad.

Both Ancelotti and the club’s directors have stated that there won’t be any moves in January in the first team, but the opposite situation could take place in the reserve team, as they sit at the bottom of the Spanish Second Division and they have already signed Brazilian promises William Jose and Pablo.

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Real Madrid have shown an interest in signing Arsenal’s right-back Bacary Sagna next summer, according to French website Le10Sport.

The Frenchman could arrive to the Santiago Bernabeu for free, since his contract expires next June and he hasn’t signed an extension yet.

Thus, the Frenchman can start negotiations with any club, and Los Blancos have reportedly put their eyes on him as a possible replacement for Alvaro Arbeloa for next season.

However, the right-back is not a priority for Los Merengues, as Daniel Carvajal and Arbeloa have become a solid pair in that position, and there are other clubs that would be willing to bid higher to bring Sagna, such as Paris Saint-Germain and Monaco.

In fact, according to French press, Monaco are already in advanced negotiations with the 30-year-old defender. His current club Arsenal have opened talks with the former Auxerre man and are keen for him to commit his future at the Emirates Stadium though.

A few seasons ago, when Sagna was first linked with a move to the Santiago Bernabeu he stated: “I’m very surprised about those rumours. I couldn’t turn my back to a Real Madrid offer.”

* Follow Alejandro Gonzalez on Twitter @alejandrognieto

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