Here's the lineup for next year, following all the various runours and the negotiations with Juve re exchange of  

                                              Navas
                                (Casilla, Yañez)

Carvajal         Varane          Ramos      Marcelo
(Danilo)          (Pepe)          (Nacho)    (Rodriquez)

                             
                               Casemiro
                              (Krammer)

         Modric                                 Pogba
         (Asensio)                            (Kroos)


Bale                         Benzema.                      Ronaldo
(Lucas)          (Aubameyang of Morata)  (Nolito - just kidding)

Asensio is more of a forward than a Midfielder. Think he's best on the right

Kramer just joined BMG

Why so much love for Auba? The guy is mere pace whore and nothing more. I have watched enough of him to conclude that Ramos is more clinical in finishing than that scrub. Then to think people actually believe he is Benzema replacement Benz has more talent in his left leg than Auba if u ask me.

I don't think that's the reason for all the hype this season... it's the industry's worst kept secret that, although he doesn't have a clause, Pogba signed an extension with the understanding he won't be blocked if he asks to leave.  Madrid does the same thing with these crazy clause amounts.  Since his last response to a possible transfer was something like "I can't just get up and leave tomorrow.  I have a contract."...  people feel Pogba is allowing Juve to milk as much money as they possibly can.  There's no rush with the Euro and he's gone radio silvence.  So why not act like a reluctant or unwilling seller so clubs really give you the highest price?

That said, I think he's going to go to Barca or EPL unfortunately.

I look at it as

Barca:                                                                 vs       Madrid:

                  N  S   M                                                                B   B   C                      
          Ratikic Busquets Pogba                                        Modric  Casemiro  Kroos

or    

                  N  S   M                                                                 B   B   C                      
          Ratikic Busquets Iniesta                                       Modric  Casemiro  Pogba

Pogba enhances either team and I like the odds in our favour in the second scenario vs the first. Actually the first is downright scary!! I think we need an all out effort by Perez on this. However it's not just Barca we are competing against, it's Man U and no doubt one or two more EPL teams. I think we should just pay Juve whatever they want and throw in Morata, Kovacic and Isco (that apparently they want) to see if that can lower price somewhat.

In case you haven't noticed most of the targets that supposedly Zidane wants are actively being pursued by EPL teams and as someone said earlier Krammer apparently has already been signed. These signings are not going to be easy.

http://www.espnfc.us/story/2889180/man-united-make-paul-pogba-contact-but-juventus-star-waiting-on-real-madrid-sources

According to ESPN, Man U has made a firm move for Pogba but Pogba is awaiting to see if Madrid make a move for him... wow.  So it's heating up for real now.

Why are we not trying for nolito as backup for benzema?

At his age he won't mind being the back up striker

phenom wrote:Why are we not trying for nolito as backup for benzema?

At his age he won't mind being the back up striker

cos florentino hasn't come to a decision yet on whether he'll go for lewandowski and what backup they'll have for him or not. with the whole transfer ban thing looming, things aren't as straight forward as they were last summer

Nolito is a winger not a striker. That said, I would love if we go after him. Not only is he talented, able to backup / challenge both Ronaldo and Bale, it would be a major blow to Barca picking up one of their fabrica products, before they can bring him back.

Sarabia has signed for Sevilla from Getafe. Rules him out of a transfer to Real.

Kovacic set to join Roma on a loan deal, according to Marca and La Gazetta. The latter claims the deal is done.

Interesting, the meeting with Juve is today and apparently they want Kovacic as part of any Pogba deal.

Read today that Zidane wants Jese out on loan to be able to play as a starter and develop more and that he wants Morata back.

Denis being sold to Villareal reported today by Marca.

Tell me again why Morata isn't right for this club!

Absolutely changed the way Spain played today.

5 shots, 3 on target, 2 goals!! Yeah he really needs to work on his finishing.

And when lateral was got upfield, it was Morata CF who played his spot as Turkey attacked. Can you ever imagine Benz (or Ronaldo) doing that teamwork?

Yes he is not very good at finishing lol, dont use one game to draw all kind of conclusions on one player because if i look at both our supposed stars so far in the euros, Bale and Cr they are playing like shit

Basically what Sports is with the French, Bill is with the Spanish. One and the same.

Get used to it. Morata is coming back. Mark my words.

The forward 2nd line for next season is Lucas, Morata with Isco and perhaps Asensio available occasionally. (All Spanish - I love it)

And for those of you who are thinking Nick or Sports are right re Morata, start watching Spain play in this Euro (there will be several more games). IF you actually watch him as opposed to reading press clips, you will definitely say this is not the immature kid that played here a couple of years ago.

He won't be the starter here, but he is more than capable of backing up and challenging Benz or Lewandowski.

Well here's a writer that says we are going to pay the price for Pogba! But he does say that Morata is coming.

"Paco González contó cómo se van perfilando los planes del Real Madrid: el club le propondrá la semana próxima a Zidane quedarse con Morata como cuarto delantero. Además, el club renuncia a fichar a De Gea y a Pogba, que cuesta 140 millones y, además, su representante quiere 12.5 millones limpios"

hey bill lukaku just scored two goals today, incredible player, best finisher in the euros

Have said it a million times and will say it again... the money time in NT football is not in pool play once the field got expanded. Basically, every team parks the bus against the better ones and its just a matter of breaking them. If you score early enough, you will score several. If you don't score early enough, you will have to grind it out.

Rinse and repeat.

Morata had a good game. But he's always been capable of these. Showed it at Juve the past two seasons. What he is dreadful at... is consistency. His stats are awful because he disappears for huge segments of the season. Basically, he has no plan B to his game right now and plan A doesn't work near often enough.

Still very young and has talent though. But he is not a great striker by any means at this point. Very useful off the bench however. He has the right attitude for it.

I think Morata is aware of the fact that he won't be a starter here. He's not good enough now and will probably never be. But I guess our bench is better than Juve's.

You guys are missing my point entirely.

1. Morata is coming back - you can (or not) take my word for it.

2. He is coming back as a backup, replacing Jése who is going out on loan.

3. I've been saying he is an ideal backup. He is not the player we saw at Madrid a couple of years ago. Sure he still needs further development. I have not said he is elite, I have not said he should be the starter. He has played excellently for Spanish seleccion over past several months, well enough to not only be the starter, but he (together with Nolito) have allowed Spain to retool tactics to be more direct. Sure it's early and we have to see against stronger opponents how well Spain and Morata will do, but it is encouraging. His movement is excellent and he is very much a team player.

4. Whether he is a backup to Benz or even Lewandowski, he still will get enough minutes to continue his development. He will allow Benz to be subbed out in some games as well as replace him for a number of starts, which makes Benz all that more fresh at end of season. Plus he has shown he can play as a secondary striker or wing and therefore can replace Ronaldo as well when needed.

Morata can back up both cr and Benzema. Cr plays all the time so a specific back up for him is pointless. I think selling jese and buying back Morata will be a sensible decision. Is there a better back up than morata available?