: Sat Jul 18, 2009 1:37 pm  

Isn't de la Red out for a year?

: Sat Jul 18, 2009 2:43 pm  

A unknown superstar wrote:

If Barca are signing Ibrah, surely they won't be trying to sign Villa too?

I would still like to think Madrid will sign another striker, and Villa would be absoloutely perfect.

Huntelaar & Negredo on there way out, possibly RVN too.

That would leave Raul, Higuain and Benzema. Hopefully Higuain won't be pushed out of the side this season, as he was quality last season for Real.

Haven't heard any rumours at all, but I can't see M. Diarra playing much next season with Lassana Diarra and other such players as Ruben De La Red and Gago in the team. Hopefully he will move on.

VDV I would imagine will be on his way out too, although I would like them to keep Sneijder. Another world class centre back is a must though and a left back would be good too!

Sneijder is to be used as a make weight in the Alonso deal according to sources.
Raul Higuain and Benzema are plenty of strikers for Madrid, they need no more.

: Sat Jul 18, 2009 2:46 pm  

My take on the Ibrahimovic signing is that Barca are basically trying to offload Eto'o, but the striker will only go to Inter. Rather than lose him on a free next summer, they are using him as a makeweight in this deal thus giving him some value if you will. So while it looks like an astronomical fee, Eto'o would otherwise sit his contract out and end up earning Barca nothing, so really they're only paying about 35 million for Zlatan in theoretical terms.

: Sat Jul 18, 2009 2:47 pm  

Ande wrote:

Sneijder is to be used as a make weight in the Alonso deal according to sources.
Raul Higuain and Benzema are plenty of strikers for Madrid, they need no more.

In all honesty, I haven't seen much of Alonso tbh. Is he really worth all this hassle and commanding around £30 million?

: Sat Jul 18, 2009 3:31 pm  

A unknown superstar wrote:

In all honesty, I haven't seen much of Alonso tbh. Is he really worth all this hassle and commanding around £30 million?

He's a fantastic midfielder who is cute on the eye. Not quite in that bracket, but it's an inflated market. Liverpool are demanding that fee for him because they don't want to lose him.

: Sat Jul 18, 2009 3:32 pm  

Robbie Rotten wrote:

Sneijder is an awesome player but I think he'd struggle in England, and struggle to fit in our system. I think the only role he'd fill well would be Gerrard's, but Gerrard is guaranteed 40+ games a year, so whoever is his back up doesn't have to be someone a sgood as Sneijder. He can play on the flanks but it doesn't suit his game at all. I'd rather we raked in the money and spent it on a player who'd fit our system better like Silva

I think Silva would cost too much.

: Sat Jul 18, 2009 3:40 pm  

richardviking wrote:

I think Silva would cost too much.

I'm a bit mixed, really. A few months back somebody at Valencia leaked our interest to the press in an attempt to pump up the fee, but it seems that everything around Silva has gone quiet. I've not read much about Valencia rejecting bids or him being close to signing for anyone. Still, I thought if we were to sign Silva it would have been at the start of the summer, to avoid any bidding wars or whatever.

I'd certainly rather Silva than Villa, and he'd probably cost half the price. I'd rather Silva over Sneijder as well.

: Sat Jul 18, 2009 3:40 pm  

Is the signing of Alonso needed though really?

How will Madrid line up?

GK Casillas

RB Ramos
CB Pepe
CB Albiol/ Garay
LB Marcelo/ Heinze

RW Ronaldo
CM/CAM Kaka
CM/DM Diarra
LM/W Robben

ST (two of Raul, Benzema, Higuain, RVN)
ST " "

Or will they go with 5 in midfield and 1 up front?

: Sat Jul 18, 2009 3:42 pm  

Robbie Rotten wrote:

I'm a bit mixed, really. A few months back somebody at Valencia leaked our interest to the press in an attempt to pump up the fee, but it seems that everything around Silva has gone quiet. I've not read much about Valencia rejecting bids or him being close to signing for anyone. Still, I thought if we were to sign Silva it would have been at the start of the summer, to avoid any bidding wars or whatever.

I'd certainly rather Silva than Villa, and he'd probably cost half the price. I'd rather Silva over Sneijder as well.

Riera looked a lot better than Silva in the Confederations Cup.

: Sat Jul 18, 2009 3:43 pm  

I think in terms of balance and getting the best out of certain players, it would be better to play Kaka behind Benzema up front. However, Pellegrini is a 4-4-2 man, but he always seems to play with two anchor men, so I can't see Kaka playing centrally in a 4-4-2.