Real Madrid’s priority changes from purchases to sale
July 14th, 2009 - 9:18 pm ICT by IANS
By Duncan Shaw
Madrid, July 14 (DPA) Real Madrid’s historic spending spree has been suspended, at least for the time being, as they turn their attention to selling some unwanted players.
The Spanish giants took Planet Football by storm in June, spending around 210 million euros (292.96 million dollars), on Cristiano Ronaldo, Kaka, Karim Benzema and Raul Albiol.
Now, according to sports dailies AS and Marca Tuesday, Real president Florentino Perez has made it clear that there will be no new signings until at least five of the club’s many unwanted players have been sold.
AS said that Perez has given the club’s general director Jorge Valdano until July 27 to offload at least some of handful of the misfits from a bloated squad currently containing 32 players.
At the top of Real’s list of unwanted players, apparently, are Dutchmen Klaas Jan Huntelaar, Rafael Van der Vaart, Royston Drenthe, Ruud Van Nistelrooy and Arjen Robben.
Huntelaar is close to signing for Germany’s VfB Stuttgart, with AS Roma also rumoured to be interested.
New coach Manuel Pellegrini said he would like Dutch midfielder Wesley Sneijder to stay, at the same time as asking for a new full- back and two more midfielders.
Other players unwanted at the Bernabeu include veteran defenders Michel Salgado and Gabriel Heinze, plus anchorman Mahamadou Diarra.
However, most of the players on Valdano’s “hitlist” are reluctant to leave Madrid because of their lucrative Real salaries, salaries that other clubs - for example Stuttgart with Huntelaar - are unwilling to or simply can not match.
So far, Valdano has only been able to sell third-choice goalkeeper Jordi Codina (to Getafe) and unwanted reserve striker Javier Saviola (to Benfica).
Marca hinted that Valdano might try to tempt new Bayern Munich coach Louis Van Gaal into taking some of Real’s unwanted fellow- Dutchmen, possibly in exchange or part-payment for winger Franck Ribery.
Ribery, mysteriously injured at the moment, has made it clear that he wants to leave Bayern for Real, but Perez is unwilling to pay the 80 million euros that Bayern are demanding for the Frenchman.
Not even Perez has an unlimited supply of ready cash and credit, it seems, after having spent so freely in June.
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- Mourinho - the ego has landed, in Madrid - Aug 24, 2010
- Dutch have no worries upfront, but defence vulnerable - Jun 02, 2012
- Real Madrid welcome Benzema, prepare to sell Huntelaar - Jul 10, 2009
- Real Madrid close to signing Argentina's Di Maria - Jun 10, 2010
- Pieters to miss Euro 2012 due to foot injury - May 08, 2012
- Khedira about to sign for Real Madrid - Jul 15, 2010
- Uncapped Narsingh and John in Dutch squad against England - Feb 24, 2012
- German coach Loew drops Cacau from Euro 2012 squad - May 29, 2012
- Dutch and Spanish football closely connected for 40 years - Jul 09, 2010
- Bayern win friendly against Holland - May 23, 2012
- Germany reveal provisional squad for Euro 2012 - May 08, 2012
Tags: arjen robben, bayern munich, duncan shaw, florentino perez, franck ribery, gabriel heinze, jorge valdano, karim benzema, klaas jan huntelaar, louis van gaal, manuel pellegrini, planet football, priority changes, rafael van der vaart, real madrid, royston drenthe, ruud van nistelrooy, spending spree, van der vaart, vfb stuttgart