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Losing the Dutch Flavor
I am not talking about turning off Operating Systems or anything related to it. The geeks can move away from this page. I am though talking about the transfer window that will be turned off in a few hours from now and about Real Madrid’s contribution to the usual deadline day drama.
In what seems like a good move for the player but not so good for the club, Royston Drenthe has joined Hercules Alicante on a season long loan deal leaving only one recognized left-back in Real Madrid’s first team. With Marcos Alonso already sold to Bolton earlier during the window, Alvaro Arbeloa becomes the only backup we have for both the full back positions.
Though Skysports.com says that the Dutch player was free to leave Real after being told he did not feature in Jose Mourinho’s first-team plans I doubt if that was the case as all that little Roy needed was playing time and on-field experience as his fitness and his capability was never in doubt. But his taste in music? Well, let’s us leave it at that.
Also, the 23-year-old is thought to have rejected a move to Monaco while Fulham were also linked with the former Feyenoord man, who joined Real after being named player of the Under-21 European Championship in 2007. It is to be noted that Drenthe made just 10 appearances for Real throughout last season.
The official word:
Real Madrid C.F. and Hercules C.F. have reached an agreement regarding the loaning of Royston Drenthe to the latter club. The Dutch player will remain at Hercules until the end of the 2010/11 season.
The other contribution that Real have made to the deadline day is with the possible sale of Rafael van der Vaart.
Tottenham Hotspur, along with several Rafael/Sylvie van der Vaart fans, hope to discover tomorrow morning whether their dramatic last-minute bid to buy the Dutch midfielder in an £8m deal will be approved by the Premier League.
Good ol’ Arry, Sp*rs’ man-in-charge, was unable to confirm if the requisite paperwork had reached Gloucester Place before the 6 p.m. deadline as officials are still working to establish if the Van der Vaart deal made it in time after a late deluge of documentation for various deals had arrived right on the time limit.
So Rafa has finally decided that he has had enough with Real, has he? If the move does go through Real would apparently be losing about £10m as Redknapp revealed that Bayern had almost signed him for £18m earlier in the day when the deal collapsed due to reasons not known and all of a sudden the midfielder was available for just £8m enabling the North London club to go for the player. Redknapp said:
I thought he was going to Bayern Munich yesterday for about £18m and suddenly he become an awful lot cheaper and the chairman came to me and said, ‘Look, he’s available for around about £8m.’
I felt we’d already got a good squad; it wasn’t a case of really being desperate to get anyone in. It was only when he rung me around at about four o’clock and told me there was an opportunity here and did I want to do something? I said, ‘I don’t really want to spend your money but if you feel you want to have a go then, well, let’s push on and give it a crack and see if we can pull it off.
He also admitted that it was quite a coup, getting such a quality player at such a low price. And we all know how true that is.
He’s a quality player, a Dutch international, a great footballer. For that sort of money we felt he was a top player and he’ll improve us, for sure, so we made the effort but whether we can pull it off or not, I’m not sure now. It could happen; I wouldn’t like to say one way or another but we are hopeful it’ll go through. It was a last-minute job.
And it would be one helluva job once the FA confirms the legitimacy of the move. But how big a loss would it be for Real? Well, one he is a top quality player, a hard worker, someone who defied logic when he displaced Kaka from Real’s line up last season. And two, he has the much needed experience of playing in Spain and in La Liga which most of our squad does not have. On the contrary, he will not play much as there are more than enough players who can play in his position on our team. And also the fact that we have 26 players on the squad means that it has to be trimmed and since we could not find any potential suitors for the ones we wanted to see out, we had to go for this option. So since the pros and cons are canceling each other out I think it is better if we don’t speak about it.
Real are now officially oranje-less.
Well at least, we are Pepe-less no more. The Portuguese international who was injured during pre-season is now back in training. The central defender missed most of last season with the ACL and is yet to play a competitive fixture for Real in 2010. He is finally back to full training after spending the last few weeks training alone.
His arrival, marked the departure of the internationals from the Valdebebas. The likes of Casillas, Ramos, Alonso and Arbeloa would be leaving to join Spain who face Liechenstein before playing Argentina at Buenos Aires. Higuain and Di Maria have been called up to for the Albiceleste. Ozil and Khedira will join the German National Team whereas Benzema would be making his comeback with France under the governance of Laurent Blanc. Carvalho would join Portugal but will not be joined by both Pepe and Ronaldo. Marcelo who was supposed to join the Brazilian national team to train in Barcelona will stay in Madrid as he too is nursing an injury. And last but not the least Sergio Canales will join Spain’s U-21 side to face The Netherlands and Poland in what would be crucial games for the juniors.
Para Siempre Blanco!!
Hala Madrid!!
Ricardo Carvalho all set for Madrid
We've yet another Riccy on the cards.
Chelsea have confirmed they have agreed a fee with Real Madrid for defender Ricardo Carvalho. The move will see Carvalho
reunited with former Blues boss Jose Mourinho after working with the defender at Stamford Bridge and Porto.
The 32-year-old’s future at Stamford Bridge has been the subject of speculation for some time with Carvalho revealing earlier this summer he would jump at the chance of moving to Real. The Portugal international will now travel to Spain to hold talks and undergo a medical at the Spanish giants before signing a two-year deal. A Chelsea statement read:
Chelsea
Even though I feel £6.7 million for a 32-year old is too effin much, I guess Mourinho is planning to use Carvalho like how he made use of Lucio in his previous stint at Inter. Carvalho is a brilliant center-back and would definitely provide the solidity we need. With Pepe having been ruled out for 3 weeks following the match against the Galaxy, I guess Carvalho would immediately be put into action against Bayern Munich this Friday.
Para Siempre Blanco!
Hala Madrid!!
The Exodus
In the same pace as Real Madrid signed players this season there have been exits over the past week with 4 players leaving Real Madrid. As prominent as the exit of the legendary figures Raul and Guti were the sale of Marcos Alonso and Adam Szalai, two of the brightest players produced by Castilla in the past few years.
Raul ready for 'new era'
Schalke seal Raul deal
Two days after announcing his decision to leave Real Madrid CF, striker Raúl González has joined FC Schalke 04. The 33-year-old signed a two-year contract with the German side who return to the UEFA Champions League group stage this season after finishing second in the Bundesliga last term. Raúl said:
Schalke is a new challenge. The Bundesliga is one of the strongest leagues in Europe. Our aim has to be to fight for the Bundesliga title. It will be difficult in the Champions League but we want to progress from the group stage. It will be an eventful season for Schalke.
As a three-time winner of the competition with Real Madrid, Raúl brings a wealth of experience to Schalke and coach Felix Magath is delighted to have him on board. Magath said.
This is fantastic news for FC Schalke 04. I’m delighted we’ve been able to bring a truly world-class footballer and goalscorer to the Bundesliga and to Schalke.
Guti agrees Turkish switch
Guti has agreed a two-year contract with Turkish side Beşiktaş JK after negotiating his release from the Spanish club.
Beşiktaş, who are managed by Bernd Schuster, have brought in Guti within 24 hours of his departure from the Santiago Bernabéu. Signed by Madrid as a ten-year-old in 1986. Beşiktaş’s new No14 scored 46 goals in 387 Liga games for the Merengues, claiming five Spanish titles and featuring in three UEFA Champions League-winning sides.
Bolton bag Alonso
Bolton have completed the signing of left-back Marcos Alonso for an undisclosed fee. The highly-rated 19-year-old defender joins on a three-year deal despite Real giving Alonso his debut for the first team in April last season, coming on as a substitute for Gonzalo Higuain in the 2-0 victory over Racing Santander.
Bolton manager Owen Coyle spoke of his delight at sealing the transfer, hailing the Spaniard as one to watch in the future. Coyle told the club’s official website:
He is an exciting young player who has undoubted quality and he will bring that into our mix. I think that we have a real talent on our hands. I have said before that when we are investing money in transfers that I want to do it with young, talented players. He isn’t the finished article yet – he’s a young player making his way – but you don’t get through at Real Madrid without having a bit about you.
Mainz tie up Szalai deal
Ádám Szalai has sealed his permanent transfer from Castilla to Mainz. The 22-year-old striker has penned a contract with the German side which runs until June 2013, with Madrid set to receive £500,000. Szalai, formerly of Stuttgart, was on loan at Mainz last season and impressed the club enough to earn a permanent deal. Mainz 05 general manager Christian Heidel told the club’s official website:
We have finally completed all paperwork that was still pending. We are delighted to have captured Ádám permanently as we are convinced of his skills as a player. He has impressed us when he was on loan at our club last season. He will be looking to make further progress.
Last season Szalai played 15 Bundesliga games for the club and will be hoping to make an impact next season.
Sami Khedira to sign for Real Madrid?
Sami Khedira: 'Heading' to Real?
Marca have traditionally reported every single transfer that Real have made over the past few seasons a few hours earlier than the club itself have. Continuing the trend, they have now reported that Sami Khedira is set to sign for Real Madrid in the next few hours securing a €10 million deal from VfB Stuttgart.
The 23-year old midfielder had a magnificent World Cup campaign for Germany ever since replacing the German captain Michael Ballack in the center of midfield and capped the tournament by scoring the winner that secured the Germans the Bronze Medal in South Africa. Khedira formed an excellent partnership with Bastian Schweinsteiger in the centre of Germany’s midfield in South Africa, with his industrious displays drawing widespread praise.
Marca reported that the player was spotted at Valdebebas on Wednesday and that the move could see Khedira as Real’s third signing this summer following the acquisitions of Angel Di Maria and Sergio Canales.
As I said in my previous post, Khedira is out of contract at the end of the coming season and Stuttgart coach Christian Gross recently admitted the club will struggle to retain the midfielder.
Moving on Marca have also reported that, Pedro León will not be sent on loan back to Getafe after the player signs a six-year deal with Real on Friday. They revealed that the deal was done long ago but the personal terms were agreed only last night and that the player will undergo a medical next Friday to join Mourinho’s forces.
Meanwhile, according to AS, the agent of Khedira’s international colleague Schweinsteiger has instructed Bayern Munich to listen to any offers from Real for his client. Mourinho is considered to be a big fan of the winger-turned central midfielder and sees him as the ideal second choice to Steven Gerrard in midfield. With a move for Gerrard being rejected by Perez, an offer for Schweinsteiger seems likely. But that said, I wonder whether Real have so many gaps in the midfield for them to make so many enforcements.
Finally, a rough sketch of the pre-season schedule for Real can be seen here. We have some interesting games coming up that includes facing Bayern Munich and the return of Ronaldo and Roberto Carlos with Corinthians to play the Santiago Bernabeu trophy.
Para Siempre Blanco!
Hala Madrid!!
One Pedro For Another | Ins and Outs | S02P02
Now that the World Cup is over the media has shifted its attention on the transfer window again. Real Madrid who have been active on and off this time around having acquired Angel Di Maria and having recalled Sergio Canales back from his loan spell at Racing are being linked as usual to every one who is on the market. I shall, though, limit myself to tangible rumors.
#1
Getafe confirmed the transfer of Pedro Mosquera from Real for an undisclosed fee. The 22-year-old was presented to the media and fans earlier today. Mosquera, who was the captain of Castilla for most of last season also made his First Team debut as well last season. But in all the midfielder managed only one appearance in La Liga. The move, reports say, comes as a result of lack of regular first team action and I am unsure about any buy-back clause included in the deal. I shall update this post as soon as I can with further details.
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Sergio Canales to be Raul’s replacement for next season?
Awaiting his homecoming
First some good news, Real Madrid have told Racing Santander they will be keeping Sergio Canales at the Bernabeu next season, dashing the Cantabrians’ hopes of taking their former player back on loan.
Canales was originally expected to spend at least another year on loan there. However, Racing president Francisco Pernia says he has always been resigned to the player moving to Madrid for the coming season. And at the launch of a campaign for season ticket holders on Tuesday he said:
In the written terms of the agreement between the three parties it says they wanted him for next season – we knew it was going to be like that.
Canales, meanwhile, is looking forward to starting life at the Bernabeu and linking up with new coach Jose Mourinho. The 19-year-old believes playing alongside our star players will help him settle in. He told Marca:
I will have to work hard and I know it will be difficult to get in the team, but I am excited and I can’t wait to get started. Mourinho has won everything and he will be great for Madrid. I don’t normally have difficulties adapting. I’m on open-minded person and I’m sure having so many great players alongside me will make things easier.
And now some bad news, well not really. Christoph Metzelder has come out and said that he wants Raul to join him at Schalke, and believes the striker would be a superb signing. I say so because it really doesn’t matter what Metzelder thinks. Until its Raul who is doing the talking I am not ready to believe this story.
Metzelder left Real earlier this summer after failing to make an impression in La Liga. Raul, at one time the club’s talisman, has also fallen out of favour and started just eight league games last term, scoring five goals. And now Metzelder wants to be reunited with a player once thought of as the most deadly finisher in Europe. Metzelder told Bild:
I understand him, I used to sit next to him on the Madrid team bus. Raul has the ambition to continue playing in the Champions League and is thinking seriously about Schalke. He has even been told which teams his sons will play in. He is in top shape. He was injured only once in my three years at Madrid. He has a great personality and his presence would be a huge boost for this young team.
Meanwhile, Real have been told by Bayern Munich to forget about signing Germany midfielder Bastian Schweinsteiger. Bayern sporting director Karl-Heinz Rummenigge said in quotes published by Sportinformationsdienst that:
Whoever is thinking of Schweinsteiger, (Philipp) Lahm or (Thomas) Muller can forget about calling us. We already said after the final of the Champions League that we weren’t going to let anybody leave, and we have shown that with (Franck) Ribery.
This comes following rumors that linked us with a bid for several of the German stars. I should have known that it was false especially after it came just ahead of Spain’s clash tonight against Germany.
Someone who would be arriving is Angel Di Maria. The Argentine is expected to be presented to the World as a Madridista this Wednesday or Thursday. Finally some Real Madrid action!
Para Siempre Blanco!
Hala Madrid!!
Stevie G, Angel D, Maicon and the rest of the football world | Ins and Outs | S02P01
Agreement in principle
So when José Mourinho said he was targeting three to four summer signings the press went ballistic. They had the whole world of football to choose from the three or four special players that the Special One was targeting. And now it looks as though they have decided upon three of the possible four signings while making the fourth slot as a variable which they could fill up with a player of their choice every week.
The three lucky winners chosen are Steven Gerrard, whose exit is apparently eminent after Benitez’s departure, Angel Di Maria, who has already signed a deal with Real Madrid in a secret meeting that was held months ago, and Maicon who has openly admitted that he will choose Real Madrid over Man City any given day. And the fourth spot till now has been occupied by the likes of Fernando Torres, Wayne Rooney, Didier Drogba and David Silva among others.
#1
Let’s start with the rumor regarding Steven Gerrard who will be England’s captain in the upcoming World Cup. Gerrard is believed to be one of Mourinho’s leading transfer targets following his arrival at the Bernabeu and he recently said of the midfielder and his England colleague Frank Lampard that “both are two great players and always give everything.” Mourinho had attempted to prise Gerrard away from Anfield during his time at Chelsea, has now “hinted” that he could be interested in the England midfielder and the Spanish press reported on Friday that a €30 million bid is in the offing.
Three or four new signings
Kolarov: Touted to be Mourinho's first signing
Now that we have a new manager the focus automatically shifts to the composition of his squad. José as we know is very particular about his squad and the players he uses. His squads at Porto, Chelsea and Inter have been full of quality players if not full of stars and every player including the ones whom he didn’t like were given a role to play in the success story devised by the man himself. Given these factors we must now have a look at what our squad needs and what kinds of players would José Mourinho be looking at.
Several names have come up in recent weeks regarding transfers in and out of the Bernabeu. David Silva, Angel Di Maria, Daniele De Rossi, Alexander Kolarov and Maicon have been the more prominent ones in those rumors. With Mourinho being the kind of manager who knows who will and who wouldn’t fit into his side and game plan there is set to be some amount of tinkering that will be done to our side.
A left-back looks like a must even though Arbeloa seems comfortable defensively in that position and Marcelo made more assists than both Kaka and Guti playing there I doubt if those two would fit into into Jose Mourinho’s XI considering the stability that generally is at the back in all the teams that he previously managed. AS feels Alexander Kolarov from S.S.Lazio would be the first one to land here and says that Mourinho has been keen on landing the Serbian right from his Inter days. Another option for Mourinho is to get Maicon. The Brazilian full back has been linked with a move to Real for the second summer running. AS says that Mourinho is looking at a central defensive pairing of Sergio Ramos and Pepe as he likes his center halves to be aerially stable. That opens up both the wing-back slots. As far as the departures are concerned Drenthe might depart considering the lack of playing time he is getting.
The next immediate concern would be the midfield especially the defensive midfield role. With Lass having one of those mysterious injuries that footballers have, Diarra getting old and Gago no longer being defensive Mourinho will look at reinforcements in that part of midfield with one or two players. Daniele De Rossi is yet again in contention but the Roman talisman has made it clear that he would leave only if Roma wants him to leave. You know these Romans don’t you? City comes ahead of everything else for them. Mourinho can also bolster the attacking midfielder slot if he chooses to keep Canales at Real for the upcoming season. Guti’s future still remains in doubt.
The offense is one part of the field which wouldn’t be reinforced come next season. Valdano recently said that Benzema was used so rarely last season that he virtually is a new signing for the upcoming season. Raul’s future remains in doubt but Mourinho has held talks with the skipper today at the Valdebebas and has apparently discussed his future at the club and the role that Mourinho is willing to let El Siete play. The decision will be made after the vacation. On the other hand, David Silva would be a good signing and with Mourinho employing a 4-3-3 that can be converted to a 4-5-1 the two striker/midfielders could be Ronaldo and Silva. Di Maria is another option but the team management has made it clear that they wouldn’t sign him unless he comes cheap and despite this AS feels that we have already signed him.
But all what AS and Marca think really would not matter here on. We have Jose Mourinho. He does what he likes to. He brings in a player if he wants to and discards him if he is not required.
Para Siempre Blanco!
Hala Madrid!!
Ins and Outs | S01P08
#1
Shakhtar Donetsk’s Romanian defender Razvan Rat has been linked with Real Madrid in recent times, and his club would not stand in the way of a move. Speculation linking Rat to the Bernabeu has been rife, with Real in need of a left-back, and Shakhtar concede that it will be hard to keep him, should we make an offer. Speaking to AS, coach Lucescu said:
I will not block him from going to Madrid. I am proud of him, because he has given everything for Shakthar, and deserves the best. He is a great footballer.
For his part, Rat stated that he would not think twice about such a move, saying:
First they have to speak to my representatives. But it is clear that everyone would like to go to Madrid.
Rat has been at Shakhtar since 2003, making 120 league appearances.
Source: AS
Degree of genuineness: 5.0
Ins and Outs | S01P07
#1
Real Madrid are linked with teen sensation Romelu Lukaku, who currently plays at Belgian side Anderlecht. The 16-year old who has an enviable goalscoring record at youth level has also been linked with Chelsea and AC Milan. The powerful young star has been hailed as the new Didier Drogba, and The Daily Mail assumes that major European clubs are keeping tabs on his progress.
Lukaku was given his first-team debut by Anderlecht last season and has became a regular in the side this campaign, becoming the youngest player to play in the Champions League. The Belgian allegedly turned down an opportunity to move to Chelsea’s academy, which could open the door for either Madrid or AC Milan to make a move.
The 6ft 3inch powerhouse is under contract with Anderlecht until 2012, but it is thought that they will be willing to sell should a substantial offer be received for his services. Lukaku is also Belgian under-21 international.
Source: The Daily Mail
Degree of genuineness: 6.0
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Ins and Outs | S01E06
#1
Pepe’s injury has caused more turmoil amongst the tabloids and transfer gossip columnist than what it has caused within Real Madrid. The large Portuguese center-back’s season ended last weekend at the Mestalla after he suffered from what Medical Personnel call the ACL (Anterior Cruciate Ligament) which meant that the player will remain out of action for 6 whole months. This has diverted the attention of the media who now are looking out for the perfect match to replace Pepe at the Bernabeu temporarily at least. And that I should say dominates this post of Ins and Outs.
The first one sees The Mirror report that Real Madrid are keeping a close eye on Carlos Cuellar, the in-form Aston Villa defender. According to them Florentino Perez is reportedly willing to splash out on the Villans’ versatile stopper in January in order to make amends to what the injury to Pepe has done to the squad.
Goal.com which reported the rumor went on to say that such a move would highlight a remarkable turn in fortunes for Cuellar, whose suitability to the Premier League was seriously questioned after an indifferent debut season. However, according to them, the 28-year-old has answered his critics this term and is now showing to sort of quality that won him the SFWA Footballer of the Year award during his time at Rangers. And as a result, it is claimed, Spain coach Vicente del Bosque has had his scouts monitor the former Osasuna man’s progress in recent weeks, and he could be in the frame for the 2010 World Cup.
Not bad. A well framed rumor whatsoever.
Source: Goal.com, The Mirror
Degree of genuineness: 6.0
Ins and Outs | S01P05
#1
Ruud van Nistelrooy seems to be topping our charts every single week including this one. He is the only player to have appeared in all the Ins and Outs posts and is most likely to be the number one departure when the transfer window opens in January, if not the only departure. And today he is linked with again a host of clubs, most of them being from where he came here, England.
It all started when Van Nistelrooy revealed his ambition of being picked for the Dutch National Team – saying that the only way that would happen would be if he got more time on the pitch and less time in the gym. This drew the attraction of several clubs looking for a striker. First it was AS Roma who were interested in the Dutch veteran, looking for a loan move. Liverpool then got into the picture after their injury crisis. Arsenal who then had zero strikers available were seen as potential suitors for Rutegrus until Arsene laughed it off. Tottenham have always been a fan of van Nistelrooy but they find him too expensive. Man City are linked with everyone so he obviously is included. All of a sudden Fenerbahce wanted him in Turkey but then again the wage structure acted as a barrier. And now after Roma realised that £4million fee and £75,000-a-week wages was too much for a 34-year-old, Blackburn and Birmingham have been linked with the former Manchester United star. But Alex McLeish, Birmigham’s manager, insists that Van Nistelrooy is not one of his January targets but some random Slovakian is. So that leaves Blackburn Rovers left on the list. Fat Walrus, Sam Allardyce, is a fan of Ruud apparently and would be willing to give our man a chance at Ewood Park. Bolton, Birmingham, Sunderland and Fulham are also reported to be interested in the Dutchman’s services.
The player’s agent, Barry O’Connor, has remained diplomatic about the transfer rumours, saying that it is a private issue until Real Madrid decide on Van Nistelrooy’s future.
I don’t see him staying. No way!
Source: Several
Degree of genuineness: 8.0
Ins and Outs | S01P04
#1
I am back with Post#4 and do I have big news or what?! Cesc Fàbregas, yes the real one, is apparently a €50million January target for Real Madrid. According to The Mirror, both Barcelona and Real Madrid are preparing to enter into a January bidding war for the services of Cesc Fabregas, according to reports in the Spanish press.
According to them, Marca claims that the Arsenal skipper has made up his mind to leave the club at the end of the season, but both clubs are preparing massive bids to tempt Fabregas away in the next transfer window as Real Madrid, again according to them, are also on the look-out for a world class midfielder. And with Steven Gerrard considered too old, they consider Fabregas to be the ideal partner for Xabi Alonso.
But Arsenal insist that €50million is too much money for a single player and thus are willing to offload both Cesc and Ramsey to Real Madrid, if we are willing to buy of course.
Also, Barça who are considered to be the front runners in getting his signature have actually pissed off Arsenal ever since they stole Thierry Henry from them making Real the only potential suitors.
Source: The Mirror
Degree of genuineness: 2.0
Ins and Outs | S01P03
#1
DANIELE DE ROSSI. Yes. The AS Roma man. And yes. Real Madrid is linked with a January move for the Italian ace just like he was linked with us prior to Xabi Alonso’s arrival. I don’t know why though.
Despite the rumors that both Real Madrid and Chelsea are vying for the 26-year-old’s signature Roma’s technical director Bruno Conti has insisted that their midfield star is not up for sale. Roma were desperately trying to offload some of their top stars to give their troubled finances a boost in the summer. But after Alberto Aquilani joined Liverpool in a €20 million deal, Conti has reassured supporters that the club will not allow another of their youth academy products to walk away. He told the Corriere dello Sport:
It’s just paper talk. De Rossi is absolutely untransferable. He will not be joining Chelsea or Real Madrid or any other team. De Rossi is a Roma player today and will be a Roma player tomorrow and the day after tomorrow. There is not much else to say.
And that to the likes of Marca and AS only means that Real just have to increase their bid to get the player.
Source: Multiple
Degree of genuineness: If this had been may I’d have given it an 8.0 but now I’m not so sure. I’ll stick to a 5.0.
#2
In a move that substantiates why LLL calls him Lady Gago, Fernando Gago’s agent has revealed that the player is so unhappy at Real Madrid that he cries at home and is now desperate to leave the club in order to attract national team coach Diego Maradona’s attention.
Out of the Real Madrid side, Gago knows that he cannot be considered for Argentina’s World Cup squad next summer. That has sparked rumours of a January exit. Fiorentina have been linked with him, while a return to Boca Juniors on loan has also been mooted by the media in Spain and Argentina.
Gago’s agent, Marcelo Lombilla, has revealed that his client would like to stay at Madrid if he was able to play. Lombilla was quoted as saying by Marca:
It’s not a question of money, what Gago wants is match rhythm, because the World Cup is getting close and he wants Maradona to pick him for the squad. It’s no good to me to have a player who is not happy with his club. Gago is not playing. He stays at home crying.
The representative of Fernando Gago, Zoran Vekic, did not rule out the possibility that the Argentine might move out in January.
Sell him and get me De Rossi.
Source: Marca
Degree of genuineness: 7.0
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Ins and Outs | S01P02
#1
Ever since Fernando Amorebieta did the famous big boot on Messi, Madridistas have been in love with the Basque defender. This is no secret. But what has been kept a secret here is the fact that Real Madrid are now trying to sign the defender from Athletic Bilbao despite the fact that we have enough kick boxers on our side. A source close to the club’s management told a source close to a friend of another close friend of mine that:
Amorebieta wants to hang up his boots in Madrid. Real want him and he wants Real more.
I trust my source. But I don’t trust his. So lets see.
Source: A source close to the club’s management told a source close to a friend of another close friend of mine.
Degree of genuinity: 0.0
#2
Liverpool are reportedly interested in signing Ruud van Nistelrooy on loan in the January transfer window, according to the Sunday Mirror.
The Dutchman has spoken recently of his desire to leave the Bernabeu, unless he can force his way back into the first team, as he wants to play his way back into the Dutch squad for next summer’s World Cup. As that looks unlikely he could be set for a move in January, with Liverpool reportedly interested in signing the 33-year-old. The tabloid claims manager Rafael Benitez is keen to add an extra striker to the ranks, and could take the Dutchman on loan until the end of the season.
The report adds that whilst both Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester City are also interested in him, he would prefer a move to Anfield, despite his strong connections with Manchester United.
Source: The Sunday Mirror
Degree of genuinity: 5.0
Ins and Outs | S01P01
#1
The first rumor involves Wolfsburg’s German International Marcel Schäfer. The defender who plays left back for both club and country is being as the solution to Real’s problems and is thus being rumored that Real will sign the player come January. And even though Schäfer, who is just 25, will be cup tied Real consider him to as the missing entity that has made them not click as well eternal rivals Barcelona. And although Marcelo has been impressive for Real this season, his capability as a defender is questionable. And above all according to Marca, Real rate Schafer highly.
It is to be noted that Schäfer has also been linked with Inter Milan and is emerging as a January target for Real as their pursuit of Fiorentina defender Juan Manuel Vargas begins to fizzle out.
Source: Goal.com
Degree of Genuineness: 5.5
#2
#2 has got a lot to do with #1. Wolfsburg’s Bosnian striker Edin Džeko is all set to leave the Volkswagen Arena come January if club mate and close friend Marcel Schäfer leaves the club as rumored. The former FK Željezničar, FK Teplice and FK Ústí nad Labem striker is ready to offer himself to the top clubs in Europe and especially to Real Madrid if that is where Marcel is heading. Real though are being hesitant here as they already have enough strikers on board. But Džeko though is being resilient here insisting that he is even ready to play for Castilla if that is what it takes to keep in touch with Marcel. According to a Wolfsburg based magazine, Džekois rumored to have said:
If he (Schäfer) goes, I go.
As flattering as his love… erm.. I mean friendship is it will be tough for Real to be able to pay Džeko’s wages. But the question is, is that the only problem?
Source: Miscellaneous
Degree of Genuineness: -1
Ins and Outs | Pilot
We all know what makes football the beautiful game. Its of course the transfer rumors. We all love transfer rumors. No one can disagree with that. And Real Madrid is no exception. If there is a team which attracts more transfer rumors than any other then it is Real Madrid. Irrespective of whether the transfer window is tight shut or open it doesn’t matter. Real will continue to be linked with players all around the world including Ireland. I’ll just cut the crap and get to the point here. Ins and Outs is a new Category of posts, something similar to the revitalized, Where Are They Now?, which will be nothing but a compilation of all the transfer rumors surrounding Real Madrid, irrespective of how lame, stupid, not genuine, wannabe or crappy it is. If there is a rumor about Real Madrid it will be here. If there is no rumor about Real Madrid then also something will be here. And as far as the frequency is concerned, well, you’ll see it frequently, lets just leave it at that. Also, every rumor will be rated with respect to how genuine it is on a scale of 1-10 where 10 is the highest.
Cheers!
Para Siempre Blanco!
Hala Madrid!!
Just another Madridista
Hala Madrid 
Junta speak