Real Madrid to complete first January signing in coming weeks, Barcelona eye €150M duo and more La Liga news – 13th December 2018

All the latest La Liga news in one place!

Buying Valladolid was a gift, says Ronaldo

Ronaldo has revealed that he was looking to buy a club for two years before taking the majority stakes at Real Valladolid. The legendary striker also revealed that he was eyeing a club in England too before the purchase.

The 51% stakeholder of the Spanish club said, “I was looking for something to do for two years. I looked for a team to buy in Spain and England, and Valladolid was like a gift.”

“Not only is it a club with 90 years of history behind it, it's a city with 300,000 inhabitants and is a place that breathes football and all this means it has huge potential. To be able to inspire people is better than to score a hat-trick against Barcelona. I found exactly what I wanted and I have got a lot to give them too.”

When asked if he was looking to use his contract at his former club, Real Madrid, to sign any of the players, he hinted that he has already spoken about taking Vinicius Jr on loan. However, he admitted that it will be very difficult to get the deal sorted.

"I've asked Florentino Perez if we can have him, but I think it might be difficult!" he said.

Continuing to talk to the media, the Brazilian legend shared his thoughts on the proposed idea of playing a Liga match in the United States. While the legendary striker said he was keen on getting it done, he wanted the fans to take the final call.

“Playing abroad is aligned with our project. You need to be known both at home and abroad. I'm in favour, but our fan base will decide in the end. It is an interesting proposition for our club and our brand,“ he said.

Barcelona were scheduled to play Girona in Miami in January but the plan has flopped after the Catalan giants pulled out of the deal. FIFA and UEFA had made it clear that they would not give permission for the match to take place outside Spain but LaLiga board were determined to make it happen.

From Madrid to Barcelona?

Alvaro Morata offered to Barcelona

Barcelona are looking to sign a long-term replacement for Luis Suarez and Alvaro Morata has reportedly offered himself to the Catalan club. The former Real Madrid striker has not managed to settle in well at Chelsea and is reportedly looking to leave the club.

RAC1 report that the Spaniard is looking for a move back to Spain to regain his form. He has also held meetings with the club officials and is ready to leave Chelsea any time Barcelona want him at Camp Nou.

Morata, who was signed from Real Madrid for £70 million last season, had a very good start to his Chelsea career. He was scoring freely and even notched a hat-trick against Stoke City.

However, his form dipped mid-season and he was dropped. The signing of Olivier Giroud made it worse and Conte and Sarri have preferred the Frenchman over Morata in many big matches.

For Barcelona, however, Morata is not their top choice but remains in the list of probable names as per the report in RAC1.

Another move by Real Madrid!

Real Madrid eye fresh move for Mauricio Pochettino

Real Madrid have just appointed Santiago Solari but reports suggest that Florentino Perez is not happy with him. The Real Madrid president still wants Pochettino and will make a fresh move for him according to The Guardian.

The English publication, who are highly reliable for transfer news and rumours, suggest that Los Blancos will make a fresh approach for him at the end of the season. The Tottenham manager has been on the Madrid radar for a long time but nothing has materialized.

Rumours are that Madrid made a move last summer as well after Zinedine Zidane left. However, Dani Levy rebuffed their offer as he wanted the Argentine to finish the project he started at Spurs.

Madrid were rejected by 5 other managers as well before they appointed Julien Lopetegui. The former Spain manager did not last long and was sacked at the end of October.

Another big move!

Barcelona eye €150 million move in January

Barcelona are ready to go all out to sign Matthijs de Ligt and Frenkie de Jong according to a report in Mundo Deportivo. The Catalan side are desperate to get the Ajax stars and are ready to pay €150 million as per the report.

De Jong has been linked with other European giants as well and that has reportedly pushed Barcelona to make a swift move for him. Reports last week suggested that PSG had agreed a deal to sign De Jong but the midfielder rebuffed all rumours and said nothing was decided.

De Ligt, meanwhile, is a top target for Barcelona and Manchester City. Both clubs are keen on signing the defender but the Catalan side are leading the race right now.

Ajax, however, are doing all they can to keep the players at the club at least until the end of the season. They have made it to the knockout stages of the UEFA Champions League and want to make it as far as possible in the competition.

River Plate v Boca Juniors - Copa CONMEBOL Libertadores 2018

Real Madrid to sign Exequiel Palacios

Real Madrid are close to finalizing a deal for Exequiel Palacios according to Marca (via Football Espana). The Spanish publication reports that the deal for the Argentine will be completed after the Club World Cup.

The 20-year-old has been linked with several top clubs including Barcelona and Atletico Madrid but has a gentleman's agreement to join Los Blancos according to the report. He was also on the radar of Manchester City and Paris Saint-Germain but they never managed to make a move.

Palacios has a release clause of €20 million and it is set to be activated by Madrid in the coming weeks. They have a 5-year contract ready for the midfielder and are looking to sign him in January itself.

However, Football Espana report that the Argentine might only join in the summer if things do not fall in place. He was a part of the River Plate side that won the Copa Libertadores at Bernabeu over the weekend.