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Real Madrid defender Alvaro Arbeloa has said the squad is calm amid the ongoing debate about who should be the starting choice in goal for the team.

Fans and the media alike have been left surprised by Carlo Ancelotti’s decision to leave Iker Casillas on the bench in the first two fixtures of the campaign, with the Italian coach preferring to stick with Diego Lopez.

Club captain Casillas was controversially dropped by former manager Jose Mourinho last season, a decision that led to a fall out among the squad and disharmony.

Speaking after his side’s narrow 1-0 win over Granada, Arbeloa said there will not be the same scenes as last season, and that the squad is confident with whoever plays between the sticks.

“The season is very long,” the full-back said. “It’s 11 months, so there’s plenty of time for everyone to help out.

“Iker is our captain and he has a lot of experience but he should be an equal. I understand and support Iker, but we are professionals.

“Whoever plays will have our support, and the fans should do the same. The debate is out there but it is the reporters who are more interested in it. We’re calm.”

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The two main stories dominated Marca and AS today are the same as those that have taken the headlines all week long – the goalkeeper debate, and the imminent arrival of Gareth Bale.

First up, Marca has held a poll that suggested 73% of Los Blancos fans believe Iker Casillas should assess his options and consider leaving the club in the wake of being benched by Carlo Ancelotti this season. While the fans don’t want the club legend to leave, they would accept his decision what with it being an important World Cup year.

The Gareth Bale story rumbles on. An official announcement was expected yesterday but didn’t happen. It is believed a deal remains close however. The Welshman though infuriated his current club by not showing up to training yesterday as he was told to do so.

In transfer news, Turkish club Galatasaray are said to be interested in Angel di Maria, according to Marca. The Argentine will be free to leave the club once Bale is signed.

 

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Granada defender Guillerme Siqueira could make a move to Real Madrid in the coming days, according to Spanish sports paper AS.

The sensationalist paper claimed Los Blancos have lined up the Brazilian as a potential replacement for Fabio Coentrao, who is believed to be keen on a new challenge away from the Santiago Bernabeu.

The 27-year-old left back has played for Granada for three years, making 104 appearances in La Liga and scoring 12 goals.

According to AS, the two clubs were locked in talks over the weekend, and Granada president Quique Pina is happy to let the player leave to fulfill his dream of playing for one of the world’s biggest clubs.

The paper claimed Siqueira could move to the Spanish capital on a season-long loan initially, with Madrid having the option to buy at the end of the season.

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Real Madrid have offered Karim Benzema, Angel di Maria and Mesut Ozil to Manchester United and Arsenal as they look to free up funds to complete the signing of Gareth Bale and launch a bid for Luis Suarez, it has been reported.

The Daily Mirror claimed Arsene Wenger is keen on all three, with Benzema being the first choice as he looks to build a strong squad for a launch on the Premier League title.

But the paper said both the 25-year-old Frenchman and di Maria are reluctant to leave the Santiago Bernabeu – the only stumbling block as Los Blancos officials are keen to let them go.

German international Ozil is said to be open about taking up a new challenge, particularly as he’ll have his path to first team football blocked by the arrival of Bale. Ozil stormed down the tunnel after being hauled off in the second half of Madrid’s match with Granada, leading to speculation his is unhappy with his status in the squad.

According to the Mirror, United manager David Moyes is not interested in bidding for Benzema but is considering offers for the other two as he looks to add some creative spark to his midfield.

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Real Madrid full back Daniel Carvajal has said his official debut against Real Betis was a dream come true.

The 21-year-old grew up with Los Blancos and played for their various youth teams before moving to Bayer Levekusen last year to get more experience of first team football.

But he re-signed for the Santiago Bernabeu side this summer – and fulfilled his dream of pulling on the famous white shirt for the first eleven.

Speaking to the club’s official website, he said: “For me this is something very special because I have belonged at the Real Madrid for ten years. I had to go out to be able to wear the Real Madrid jersey and my debut was on an official competition against the Betis. For me that was something that I am never going to forget.”

He also spoke about his hopes for the future, saying his aim is to be part of the Real Madrid first team for years to come as well as in the immediate future.

“My main goal is to give the most that I can for the team, try to get as much play time as possible because I think that is something that any player should improve on,¨he stated.

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Karim Benzema scored in the 10th minute at Los Carmenes stadium to earn Real Madrid a narrow 1-0 over Granada.

It means Los Blancos have now won both of their opening league fixtures, although judging from the performance, there is still room for improvement.

Carlo Ancelotti’s men dominated proceedings in the first half, and should have had more goals at the break. But the second period was a drab affair with poor quality passing and few opportunities for both teams.

The only goal of the game came when Karim Benzema finished off a move involving Angel di Maria and Cristiano Ronaldo. The Argentinean winger, subject of a bid from Arsenal, sent in a cross from the left. Ronaldo controlled the ball and laid it into the path of Benzema for the Frenchman to score with a left footed drive.

It was his second goal of the season, having found the net against Real Betis last weekend too.

Isco had an effort well saved in the second half, while Ronaldo went close. At the other end, Diego Lopez – who kept his place ahead of Iker Casillas – had to make a couple of saves near the end as Granada threatened to score an equaliser.

But Los Blancos held on, and know they will need to improve for the visit of Athletic Bilbao on Sunday.

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Real Madrid blog

For the last three summers, Real Madrid have unsuccessfully tried to sell Kaka and recover some of the 65 million euros they invested when they brought him from AC Milan four seasons ago.

However, with the arrival of Carlo Ancelotti, rumours about Kaka’s departure ceased, and it was clear that the Italian would give his former pupil another chance to shine, the fifth he’s had at Real Madrid.

But is that really a good decision?

Kaka is the second best paid player in the squad, only behind Cristiano Ronaldo. He costs Real Madrid 12 million euros a year, which will make a total 125 million invested on the Brazilian in the five seasons he’s spent at Santiago Bernabeu.

And what has he given in return? Possibly some good advertising partnerships, but in terms of football, he has never performed at a decent level, he has never been a regular starter, and it seems obvious that he won’t have a spot among Ancelotti’s eleven this year.

What company in the world would keep an employee who makes 12 million a year just sitting on a chair doing nothing? No one in their right mind would even consider it.

Had they sold Kaka the first time they thought about it, Real would now have almost 40 million euros more in their bank account to spend this summer in Gareth Bale or Luis Suarez.

Florentino Perez has probably never been able to find a way out for Kaka because no club was eager to pay more than 15 million for him. And also because the Brazilian was reluctant to sign for a team that would considerably reduce his salary.

But this summer, when the arrival of Isco seemed to have convinced both parts to find an exit, things shouldn’t change so drastically just because Ancelotti thinks he can still get something good out of Kaka.

Even let him go for free would be a better business, moreover when his stay will mean that young and promising players who need playing minutes to grow will have more competency and thus less opportunities.

Kaka has probably been the worst investment in Real Madrid history, and it is time for Perez and his team to recognise their mistake and find a solution.

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The ongoing transfer saga involving Gareth Bale to Real Madrid has taken a new twist after it was reported Tottenham Hotspur have received offers from more than one club for the winger.

The Welshman, who scored 24 goals last season for Spurs as they narrowly missed out on a Champions League place, was expected to complete a switch to the Santiago Bernabeu for a world record fee.

The player has even taken the step of flying to Spain ahead of the announcement – flying to Marbella, where his agent has a property.

But media sources in the UK have revealed another club is believed to have made an offer.  It is unknown which other club has bid for Bale’s services, although Premier League champions Manchester United have been linked with the player during the summer.

Sources say Los Blancos remain in pole position to seal the 93 million euro deal.

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Real Madrid assistant manager Zinedine Zidane has said he will be happy to mentor Gareth Bale when his signs for the club.

The Welsh international is expected to be unveiled as a Los Blancos player this week for a world-record fee, eclipsing the amount Real Madrid paid Manchester United for Cristiano Ronaldo four years ago.

As well as having to adapt to a new language, country and culture, Bale will need to deal with the pressure of being the world’s most expensive footballer – and Zidane says he can help him overcome that as he experienced the same thing.

The Frenchman, now assistant to Carlo Ancelotti, moved to the Santiago Bernabeu for a fee of 60 million euros in 2001 from Juventus, and helped the team lift the Champions League in his first campaign.

Speaking to the Sunday People, Zidane revealed he would help Bale settle.

“I know what it is like to be the world’s most expensive player. I will try and offer advice to Bale and act as his mentor, because there is always a lot of expectation when you’re a big signing, but as a player you don’t think about the figure.

“My door will always be open for him,” he stated.

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Carlo Ancelotti has hit back at Barcelona boss Tata Martino after comments made about the potential transfer of Gareth Bale to Real Madrid.

The newly installed manager at the Camp Nou said the world record price tag for the Welsh winger was ‘disrepectful’ to the rest of the world while many people struggle in the tough economic climate.

But responding to those comments, Ancelotti claimed Martino “does not know how European football works, or even how his own club works as they too have spent heafty sums of money on the transfer market”.

Speaking of Bale, AS has more pictures of him relaxing by the pool in Marbella as he awaits his move.The 24-year-old flew to the south of Spain at the weekend and is expected to complete the deal on Tuesday, after Madrid’s match with Granada on Monday evening.

The keeper debate rumbles on in the press, and Ancelotti tried to put an end to it yesterday saying neither Iker Casillas or Diego Lopez play in goal, but just that the Real Madrid goalkeeper plays in goal. According to Marca, Arsenal have made tentative inquiries about Casillas and his availability.

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