Spanish La Liga: Real Madrid Want To Trim Squad, But Still Interested In Buying More Players
Real Madrid coach Jose Mourinho has decided to trim his squad after securing his sixth signing of the summer, Mesut Ozil. The Madrid midfield has become a little crowded and there will be problems if a few “extra” players are not sold off. Not only that, the buying spree that saw Mourinho bring six new players to the club has cost a fortune, and the club is looking to get some money back.
The players who are probably on their way out are Lassana Diarra, Mahamadou Diarra and Fernando Gago. All three players occupy the holding midfielder position, and the truth is, their services are no longer required at the club. With the replacements coming in, the probability of these players featuring is very little, and by remaining at Real Madrid they will only cost the club money. In addition to that, they will be wasting important years of their careers warming the bench; they will be much suited elsewhere.
General Manager for Real Madrid, Jorge Valdano told reporters, “We have 26 players right now, so we need to lighten the squad and it will happen in the coming days. This position does not affect the Spanish players currently on our books.” Valdano’s statement clearly refers to the above mentioned players. Lassana Diarra, for instance, earns £3.7 million or £71,000 a week; add the other two players' wages, who earn the same if not more, and the sum is astronomical, especially for players who are inactive, and will probably not even make it to the bench in the upcoming season.
Another surprise sale in the transfer window could be Rafael van der Vaart. The Dutchman’s position has been severely compromised with the arrival of the much younger and much talented Mesut Ozil. The German Ozil caught the eye of top European clubs during the 2010 World Cup in South Africa, and Mourinho was lucky to have secured his signature ahead of teams like Manchester United and Chelsea. However, his arrival threatens the position of Van der Vaart, and may have potentially put his name on the Mourinho’s “out list.”
The Dutchman, however remains adamant, and has stressed on more than one occasion that he would like to stay at Madrid. He said he was willing to fight for his place, and displayed his displeasure at Ozil’s signing by not celebrating a goal he scored in a friendly 2 days ago. If Mourinho is indeed planning to get rid of Van der Vaart, he should maybe reconsider; the player has shown commitment and class and was easily the Spanish giants' best player in the pre-season fixtures.
Manchester City would make for a good dumping ground for unwanted players; they seem to have no limits when it comes to that. Ever since they realized they had unlimited funds, they have gone on buying sprees, which were often aimed at trying to imitate Chelsea’s squad, hoping that if they had the squad, they would have the trophies. Sadly, money can’t buy trophies; it may take another fruitless season for City to realize that, though. Madrid would have been successful at sending unwanted players to City, but the timing is bad as City have recently signed Yaya Toure and Nigel de Jong, adding them to the already present list of holding midfielders Patrick Vieira and Gareth Barry.
Karim Benzema’s future is also not certain in Spain, after sources close to the club revealed that Mourinho was not too impressed with the Frenchman. There is still time, and Mourinho may attempt to tempt one of the English clubs to bid for the young French striker. The bidders would probably be led by Manchester United, who were interested in buying the striker but lost out to Madrid. There is also a big possibility that the Spanish giants will make a move for Liverpool’s Javier Mascherano if their current three holding midfielders are sold off. One thing is certain though: the transfers get the most exciting towards the end and the Special One always gets what he wants.
Spanish La Liga: Real Madrid Want To Trim Squad, But Still Interested In Buying More Players
Real Madrid coach Jose Mourinho has decided to trim his squad after securing his sixth signing of the summer, Mesut Ozil. The Madrid midfield has become a little crowded and there will be problems if a few “extra” players are not sold off. Not only that, the buying spree that saw Mourinho bring six new players to the club has cost a fortune, and the club is looking to get some money back.
The players who are probably on their way out are Lassana Diarra, Mahamadou Diarra and Fernando Gago. All three players occupy the holding midfielder position, and the truth is, their services are no longer required at the club. With the replacements coming in, the probability of these players featuring is very little, and by remaining at Real Madrid they will only cost the club money. In addition to that, they will be wasting important years of their careers warming the bench; they will be much suited elsewhere.
General Manager for Real Madrid, Jorge Valdano told reporters, “We have 26 players right now, so we need to lighten the squad and it will happen in the coming days. This position does not affect the Spanish players currently on our books.” Valdano’s statement clearly refers to the above mentioned players. Lassana Diarra, for instance, earns £3.7 million or £71,000 a week; add the other two players' wages, who earn the same if not more, and the sum is astronomical, especially for players who are inactive, and will probably not even make it to the bench in the upcoming season.
Another surprise sale in the transfer window could be Rafael van der Vaart. The Dutchman’s position has been severely compromised with the arrival of the much younger and much talented Mesut Ozil. The German Ozil caught the eye of top European clubs during the 2010 World Cup in South Africa, and Mourinho was lucky to have secured his signature ahead of teams like Manchester United and Chelsea. However, his arrival threatens the position of Van der Vaart, and may have potentially put his name on the Mourinho’s “out list.”
The Dutchman, however remains adamant, and has stressed on more than one occasion that he would like to stay at Madrid. He said he was willing to fight for his place, and displayed his displeasure at Ozil’s signing by not celebrating a goal he scored in a friendly 2 days ago. If Mourinho is indeed planning to get rid of Van der Vaart, he should maybe reconsider; the player has shown commitment and class and was easily the Spanish giants' best player in the pre-season fixtures.
Manchester City would make for a good dumping ground for unwanted players; they seem to have no limits when it comes to that. Ever since they realized they had unlimited funds, they have gone on buying sprees, which were often aimed at trying to imitate Chelsea’s squad, hoping that if they had the squad, they would have the trophies. Sadly, money can’t buy trophies; it may take another fruitless season for City to realize that, though. Madrid would have been successful at sending unwanted players to City, but the timing is bad as City have recently signed Yaya Toure and Nigel de Jong, adding them to the already present list of holding midfielders Patrick Vieira and Gareth Barry.
Karim Benzema’s future is also not certain in Spain, after sources close to the club revealed that Mourinho was not too impressed with the Frenchman. There is still time, and Mourinho may attempt to tempt one of the English clubs to bid for the young French striker. The bidders would probably be led by Manchester United, who were interested in buying the striker but lost out to Madrid. There is also a big possibility that the Spanish giants will make a move for Liverpool’s Javier Mascherano if their current three holding midfielders are sold off. One thing is certain though: the transfers get the most exciting towards the end and the Special One always gets what he wants.
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