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Real Madrid having a quiet summer is the football equivalent of Charlie Sheen having a quiet night in – it rarely happens, if ever.
Madrid are coming off a highly successful season where they captured the Copa Del Rey and Champions League but President Florentino Perez was not content with keeping the same squad that served Madrid so well.
Whether it be that he couldn’t stand crosstown rivals Atletico winning the league or whether his ego got the better of him, Perez spent the cash and won the headlines.
Make no mistake though, Madrid secured the signatures of two world-class players on the cusp of their prime who may serve at the heart of Madrid’s midfield for years to come.
Both James Rodriguez and Toni Kroos are world class and were named in the FIFA World Cup team of the tournament, with both players reaping the benefits from outstanding individual tournaments.
They are two of the finest midfielders in world football and it would come to great surprise if they were to not feature in Madrid’s starting XI. Their arrival however could mean that several players could be shown the exit door as Madrid look to build upon last season’s success.
We look at the who, what and where of transfers in and around the Spanish capital. Who could be soon booking one-way plane tickets out of Madrid?
Name Sami Khedira
Teams Interested Chelsea, Arsenal, AS Monaco
Will He Stay? No
Khedira is arguably coming off his best season of his professional career but it has become quite apparent that he has no part in Madrid’s future plans. Khedira has all but left Madrid and is just trying to figure out where to.
A World Cup and Champions League winner, Khedira is one of the world’s preeminent defensive midfielders. He has garnered heavy interest from Arsenal and Chelsea. Reports over the weekend indicated that the German star’s move to Arsenal was all but done, but after Madrid secured the signature of James Rodriguez he is now reportedly being linked to Monaco as part of the Rodriguez deal.
It is yet to be determined where Khedira will land. In all likelihood it will be revealed by the end of the week. One thing is certain – he won’t be plying his trade in a Madrid jersey next season.
Name Isco
Teams Interested Liverpool, Milan, Sevilla, Manchester City
Will He Stay? No
After signing a five-year contract at the beginning of last summer, it looked like Isco was going to be Madrid’s primary playmaker for the foreseeable future. Then the World Cup happened and James Rodriguez flipped the football world on its head on the way to winning the Golden Boot.
Isco had a solid first season for Madrid, chipping in 11 goals and 8 assists in all competitions for the Spanish giants. He was described as “the most promising player in Spanish football” by Marca journalist Pablo Polo and for good reason.
Possessing strength, speed, skill and vision, Isco has all the tools it takes to succeed at the very highest level in European football and yet may be on his way out of Madrid at just 22. The arrival of Kroos and Rodriguez may result in Isco spending the majority of the upcoming season riding the pine or looking elsewhere if he seeks consistent first team football.
The arrival of James has resulted in Europe’s top clubs enquiring about Isco’s future. Liverpool seem to be the frontrunner to attain his services and are favourites to land the Spanish star after the sale of star striker Luis Suarez to Barcelona last week.
Madrid may be reluctant to sell the playmaker and may prefer to loan him out as parting with such a talent at that age may be a decision they come to haunt later on. Either way it’d be surprising to see Isco stay in Madrid, at least in the short term.
Name Angel Di Maria
Teams Interested Manchester United, PSG,
Will He Stay? No
After switching to a more central role upon the arrival of Carlo Ancelotti, Di Maria survived the arrival of Gareth Bale and was able to play 52 games for Madrid last season, blossoming in his new role.
Di Maria was the top assist maker in La Liga last season, setting up an impressive 17 goals while chipping in with 4 of his own, along with another 7 across the Copa Del Rey and Champions League.
Di Maria thrived and was one of the bright spots in an Argentinian team that made it to the World Cup final, scoring the game-winning goal against Switzerland that sent Argentina into the quarter finals.
Despite a successful season, reports are now surfacing that Madrid have made Di Maria available after Manchester United made an enquiry on Tuesday in wake of the Rodriguez transfer. United have been rumoured to have had a long-running interest in the services of the Argentine international. They will be eager to acquire the unwanted star, but a bidding war with PSG is the last thing they want.
PSG reportedly wants Di Maria on a one-year loan deal but if he is not part of Madrid’s future plans then they may want to recuperate some of their losses after some heavy spending by selling him to United. Di Maria is world class but may see an end to his Madrid days sooner rather than later.
Name Xabi Alonso
Will He Stay? Yes
Xabi Alonso is one of the most accomplished midfielders in all European football. He’s won the Champions League with two different teams, an FA Cup with Liverpool and numerous Spanish League and Cup honours in his time with Madrid. He also has two European championships and a World Cup with Spain.
He has nothing left to prove and that is why he will remain in the Spanish capital. He has done it all in two different leagues and as he ages will look to continue to add to the trophy cabinet with Madrid.
At the beginning of last season he extended his contract with Madrid until the end of the 2016 season. Alonso will likely battle Luka Modric and Asier Illaramendi for the other central midfield spot alongside Toni Kroos.
Alonso has been battling injury for the last two years. If he is put on the bench, he may be happy to cover where needed as he enters the twilight stage of his career.
Name Luka Modric
Will He Stay? Yes
Amidst transfer speculation last season about a possible move to Manchester United, Modric was quick to silence any talk of him leaving Madrid, making it publicly known that he wishes to see out his playing days and retire with the Spanish giants.
Modric will likely feature alongside Kroos in Madrid’s midfield if he can see off competition from Xabi Alonso and Illaramendi. He can play in the number 10 role when needed as he possesses spectacular vision and touch, but has become accustomed to playing a deeper role in his time at Madrid.
He has proven to be extremely versatile for Madrid, with the ability to cover multiple positions when needed.
Carlo Ancelotti described him as “an outstanding player and in my opinion one of the best midfielders in the world right now, because he can play in more than one position”. Modric has proven to be a reliable midfielder for the Galacticos and has the backing of his coach so it would appear that his position in the Madrid squad appears to be safe for now.
However, if he sees his playing time reduced in light of Kroos’ arrival, his attitude towards retiring in Madrid may change drastically.
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