Potential solutions for Real Madrid’s striker problem
With Real Madrid manager Jose Mourinho revealing that his club are looking to add a new striker to their roster after the departure of club legend Raul González Blanco, several options have emerged as potential targets for the Portuguese maestro.
With Real being unafraid to bid big money for any player they feel can add to the team, no club can be assured that their frontmen are safe from the roaming eye of Mourinho.
Here is a look at some of the options Madrid may be considering to supplement Gonzalo Higuain and Karim Benzema in the striking department:
Mario Balotelli
Although Manchester City are believed to be on the verge of tying up a deal for the young Inter Milan striker, talks are said to have stalled amid disagreements between the two clubs. With the 19-year-old’s move to the English Premier League by no means set in stone, Mourinho may sense an opportunity to hijack City’s negotiations and try to sign the player.
Mourinho worked with Balotelli over the last two seasons at Inter. The pair won a UEFA Champions League trophy last season, but reports emerging from the Inter camp said that the pair had a difficult relationship and struggled to get along.
With that in mind, Mourinho will have to consider whether he and Balotelli can put their differences aside and work together at Madrid. That, plus Balotelli’s age and the fact that he is considered more to be a promising talent for the future rather than a ready-made reliable frontman, means a move for Balotelli to the Bernebau looks unlikely at this stage of his career.
Wayne Rooney
Mourinho and Madrid are both said to have a long-held admiration for the Manchester United striker. Earlier this summer, los Blancos were said to have been preparing an astonishing bid of £90 for his services. That rumour came to nothing, but there is nothing to suggest that Madrid will not try to sign a player regarded as one of the world’s most foremost strikers.
Rooney moved to United in 2004 after impressing with Everton at a young age. Under Sir Alex Ferguson’s wing, he has developed to become a striker capable of threatening any team. In 282 games in total for the Red Devils, he has scored 131 goals and has helped them claim three English Premier League titles and the UEFA Champions League trophy.
At the age of just 24, Rooney has already won 65 caps for England and has scored 25 goals for his country. He is national team coach Fabio Capello’s first-choice striker. Madrid will have to break the bank to sign Rooney, and with Ferguson still reportedly unhappy over their conduct when completing a deal for Cristiano Ronaldo last summer, the Scot may rebuff any advances made for the forward, no matter how much money Madrid offers.
Edin Dzeko
Since breaking through at German Bundesliga side Wolfsburg, 24-year-old Dzeko has become recognised as one of the most lethal strikers in European football. He became an instant hit with Wolfsburg after arriving in 2007 and helped the club to their first ever league title win in 2008-09 season. In one of the toughest leagues in Europe, he has scored 56 goals in 96 games, an impressive record for any player.
Dzeko’s talents have reportedly attracted the attention of Manchester United and Chelsea, as well as Italians Juventus, but with a price tag of 40 million euros placed on his head by Wolfsburg, most of those suitors have been priced out of a move. Mourinho, however, may be ready to take a chance on the Serbian international and looks like one of his best options as he seeks a new striker.
Didier Drogba
Mourinho worked with the Ivory Coast international when he was at Chelsea and the pair teamed up to win two EPL titles with the Stamford Bridge side. They are said to enjoy working together, but that Chelsea have said Drogba will not be leaving this summer and the player is 32 years old would suggest that Mourinho will turn his attentions elsewhere for a younger, perhaps cheaper option.
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