'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
Hello and welcome to the Real Madrid transfer news and rumours of the day! Here are the top stories of the day surrounding the Blancos!
Arjen Robben speaks about leaving Madrid
Former Real Madrid winger Arjen Robben has spoken about his time at Santiago Bernabeu, claiming that it had become difficult for him to stay at the club after Florentino Perez was re-elected as the president.
He stated he was very comfortable at Real Madrid and was in good form but the interference of politics meant that he didn’t get a chance, which is why he had to make a decision about staying or leaving.
“It became difficult for me because of the change of president at Real,” Robben said.
“I actually felt very comfortable there and played very well, but when politics come into play and you do not get a real chance, you have to make a decision whether you want to keep fighting or to go and continue your career elsewhere.
The Dutchman then added that it was not just the addition of Ronaldo but also the signing of Kaka, Benzema and Alonso, which meant that Real Madrid had to sell some players to raise money.
“It was not just Ronaldo. Perez returned as the club’s president. He then bought Ronaldo, but also Kaka, [Karim] Benzema and Xabi Alonso.
“Real spent so much money and we were told that they needed to make a bit of money back on outgoing transfers.”
And that is something that Robben didn’t appreciate since he had a great pre-season and also shared a terrific relationship with then manager Manuel Pellegrini.
“For me it was a shame, because I had a very good relationship with the former coach Manuel Pellegrini. In addition, I had perhaps the best pre-season of my career.”
Pochettino on Bale
Tottenham manager Mauricio Pochettino spoke about the possibility of signing Gareth Bale, stating that the Welshman is currently a Real Madrid player but that the pair share a great relationship with each other.
Pochettino then added that the people at Tottenham and Southampton have only good things to say about the Welsh star. However, the three years left in his Madrid contract means that the situation is hard, both for him and the club.
“He’s a Real Madrid player," Pochettino was quoted as saying.
"But we have a good relationship. We played against him last year. I have good references about him.
“Everyone has a fond memory of him here, just like they do at Southampton. He still has three years on his contract at Madrid. It’s a situation that isn’t easy for him and isn’t easy for the club."
Perez’s List
When the going gets hard, the hard gets going… that’s how the saying goes. In the case of Florentino Perez, when the going gets hard, money starts floating around the stratosphere.
The construction magnate is out on a mission this summer as the Galacticos need multiple signings to strengthen the core of their team. And according to reports from Spain, there are going to be some huge ones.
The Spaniard is working on the acquisitions of Paul Pogba for €185 million, Eden Hazard and Christian Eriksen for €100 million each, Luka Jovic for €60 million and Ferland Mendy for €40 million.
This means, the total goes to €485 million – which will be the highest the Galacticos have ever spent in a single window. To fund such madness, Madrid are looking to sell Navas, Gareth Bale, James Rodriguez, Marcos Llorente and Dani Ceballos.
The want for De Ligt
Real Madrid have already signed Eder Militao from Porto for the summer transfer window. However, the news of Sergio Ramos not being sure about his continuity at the Santiago Bernabeu has added some headache for the Blancos.
The Galacticos will now have to look at another player to replace the Spain and Real Madrid captain. And that is one hell of a task – after all, the number 4 is not just a great defender but also a leader who has the ability to score goals at crucial times.
So, Perez needs to bring in a player with similar qualities – and who has such attributes in the football fraternity? Yes, Matthijs De Ligt.
According to reports, Florentino Perez has already informed Ramos that his replacement has been chosen in the form of De Ligt and Perez just needs to take another step to sign the player who is close to joining Barcelona.
