Kante can play right back too btw... he played that as a youth.

If we ever decide to sell Varane, Kroos or James, or anybody for that matter, I hope we won't sell them to United.

Last year's De Gea fiasco convinced me that we shouldn't do business with them ever again. They were downright unprofessional and pathetic in their attempt to keep De Gea against his will and sending the documents 2 minutes before the transfer window closes. I'm really happy the deal didn't go through and we kept Navas instead, but what they did can't and shouldn't be erased from our memory.

You can't do that and then come back a year later, shamelessly begging Real Madrid to sell you players who are surplus to requirements.

They can kindly gtfo.

i agree with the demon, i never want us to do any bit of business that may in some way shape or form help utd. i could care less about weather we signed de gea or not, navas i felt warranted a chance to stake his claim for the starting spot. but how that de gea thing was handled on utd's end was shabby. the ball wasn't in their court cos he didn't have long left on his contract so they practically forced him into one. this is the same utd side that snatched kagawa on the cheap cos he had a year left on his deal. they snatched rvp on the cheap, and with little negotiations cos he had a year left on his deal.

they started negotiating with van nistelrooy while he had a big injury over at psv, and if cristiano wasn't bent on joining us, they'd have tied him down too. but when the script turns they start acting shady. i was glad we didn't give them di maria on the cheap (and happy he left them to go to psg), i hope we either don't sell to them, or make them pay absolutely top dollar for any players they want.....i just hope flo doesn't get into "they are surplus so we'll let them go, no matter how cheap"....anyway florentino has improved in that respect. at least higuain, ozil, and di maria didn't leave on some cheap or undisclosed fee

Varane won't leave, let's be serious. Zidane and Perez know how good he is

That's why I said "if", hypothetically speaking.

But I also like tito's idea as well; if United comes knocking for one of our players, who either wants out or is surplus to requirements, they have to pay top dollar for him.

You want Varane? Ok, 70m please.
You want Kroos? 120m please.
You want James? 90m please.

And if another club, say Manchester City, comes for the same players, we make sure to give them the priority and give them cheaper prices than United.

Di Marzio is saying Juventus is close to signing Benatia from Bayern.

If this is true, then rumors of Bayern being interested in Varane could be real, and since we're interested in Alaba there could be a switch Alaba-Varane.

...or it could be that it's late where I'm from and I'm just low on sugar and reading too much into things.

The Demon of Carthage wrote:Di Marzio is saying Juventus is close to signing Benatia from Bayern.

If this is true, then rumors of Bayern being interested in Varane could be real, and since we're interested in Alaba there could be a switch Alaba-Varane.

...or it could be that it's late where I'm from and I'm just low on sugar and reading too much into things.

I'd say it's the latter.

Honestly I have to laugh whenever I read Varane to Bayern rumours, especially if they are underscored wih someting like "Ancelotti's favourite" lol.
IIRC didn't Ancelotti have Varane on the bench more often than not, to the vocal displeasure of quite a few of you?
Also we just signed Hummels, Boateng is a sure starter, why would Varane change one bench for another, and what's more isn#t he just starting to become a starter FINALLY at Real?

All Varane rumours are BS if you ask me.
Also, you have no chance in hell in buying Alaba.

Even if you had, swap scenarios like the one we fans fantasize about on boards like this practically never happen.

I think you have a point.

Ancelotti never was a fan of Varane, and for a good reason if you ask me. Pepe has been way better than him.

If he ever decided to leave, I think his destination would be United because Mourinho is a huge fan of his and he would walk into their starting eleven.

Well for once I agree with Hans the mole!

Zidane met with Varane this week. I assume everything has gone according to plan, i.e. whatever Zidane whispered in he ear will satisfy Varane's concerns. Besides with his injury and not playing in Euro is not the best time to leave and certainly it would not be to ride second fiddle at another club (I think being low on sugar stunned DoC a bit and he forgot about Hummels.

As to the bid for Alaba, it was another of Zidane's dreams (along with Lewandowski and Pogba) and club is just testing the waters. Fully expect Bayern to say gfo. The Pogba dream is being negotiated and the Lewa dream now has taken the statement of Lewandowski would only be sought if Benzema left club.

futbol_bill wrote:I think being low on sugar stunned DoC a bit and he forgot about Hummels.

Funny and true

i love how a player who played under a coach becomes one of the coaches "favorites" once said coach moves to a new club and tabloids want to sell transfer rumors. and they do this all the time, even when the player wasn't getting minutes under that coach at the previous club. i don't see us selling varane, not necessarily cos zidane and flo may or may not like him; but because pepe's not getting any younger, i'm not sure what zidane's take on nacho is, and the club doesn't seem to be actively looking for a new center back. i think the issue with varane flo and zidane has to do with contract talks more than anything....just my 2 cents

The papers are now (inevitably) speculating about Hazard, is he a possible signing or would Chelsea not let go? I had been thinking about Perez making an inevitable "galactico" signing after the 3 CL wins during which he's been president and Marca now released a similar article. Seems unlikely that we close this particular window without something big...

It wont be for Ronaldo/Bale because they are irreplaceable. If we buy a "galactico" its going to be a CF but now that Zizou is in charge of transfers I am confident we wont overspend on unneeded players.

That article said Pogba or Hazard.

Zidane started this summer of three dreams (Pogba, Lewandowki and Alaba) that could improve club but only would be pursued if there was a positive indication from current clubs (Juve and Bayern) that a deal could be reached. The Lewa question is dead, summed up with the statement this week that Lewandowski would only be pursued in Benzema would leave. Although Alaba was mentioned yesterday, Bayern will not let him go. The negotiations for Pogba are still ongoing.

Re Hazard, he himself said before Euros, said this was not the time to leave after the poor season he had.

Hazard coming in would mean playing 2nd fiddle to Bale and Ronaldo. Doesn't make any sense at all.

So the only possibility is Pogba and for that we just have to wait as Flo and Zidane are playing this one (for once re Flo) very close.

With the possibility of signing Kante, there was an article out that there may be no galactico signed this year.

These media types are just speaking out loud about their own desires or speculation. We will know soon, as Euro ends next weekend and clubs want their squads set before August. I expect in another week there will be lots of activity.

The only thing Lewa will improve is the whinging everytime he goes down. Glad he is not our problem. He makes Benz look like prime Ronaldo

Zidane didn't want Lewa... Flo has been on him well before Zidane became the manager.

Alaba, Kante, Pogba, Hazard and, as a last resort if we don't get Hazard, i think we might go after Payet (although I think Payet refuses tbh). I heard an interesting one too: We may look at Juan Mata.

Where would we play Hazard/Mata? Or are we reshaping everything to fit Alaba, Pogba, Kante, Modric

I just want whatever signings we're going to do to be done already along with whoever we're offloading. That way to have a better idea of how our squad is going to work.

if we go for mata, he's definitely a bench man. mata will not have started on any madrid side from 2009 up to this point. he'd have been on the bench in all those. if the club goes for him, then he can expect to lounge on the bench. he's not a cm, so he's not benching anyone in midfield. he's not benching cristiano nor bale neither, and he's not someone you'll consider a marquee signing to build your team around so nobody's going to look for a starting spot for him....i don't think the club's interested in mata

hazard is a bit of a different issue. if they go for hazard it raises major questions. it will be costly, and where would he play? we don't use an attacking midfielder, it's suicide to have a double pivot of modric and casemiro/modric and kroos. and we already have cristiano on the left wing

Juan Mata where is that unfounded rumour from? like he would bring anything Isco and/or james dont

hazard-CR-Bale

Hazard
CR-Bale

Lol Hazard should stay the hell away from our team. Dude is so overrated

We're talking backup roles here... Mata as a backup. We're going into a transfer ban. We need bodies.

Mata isnt better than James. What makes you think he will be able to do better than him. Both have the same weaknesses and strength but James is better at them. Getting Mata would be pointless. We dont need to buy back ups for CMs and the attack because we have plenty in our ranks already but DM and LB on the other hand is were we are short of players

I actually know Mata personally and doubt if he would ever consider returning to Madrid yet alone in a backup role. Although one could say his career is on the downside, after dropping out of favor at 2 EPL clubs and not making it to the national team, he will not accept that. He is still a fairly young players. He will point out that he was player of year at one of those clubs and was hired at the second to be that player again. He didn't hit it off with two coaches or as he will no doubt say, his style of play doesn't fit in with these two coaches. he no doubt will leave Man U because of Mourinho, but his mindset will not accept a secondary role and certainly not at the club that failed to give him a chance.

He may very well return to Spain at some point, maybe after his next club. I can see him going to Real Oviedo, his childhood club, if they make it back to la liga. however it will be a question of wages which Oviedo may not be able to provide. He needs a new club and it will depend on wages and him being a starter.

http://www.espnfc.com/blog/transfer-talk/79/post/2906212/ngolo-kante-prepares-for-leicester-departure-to-join-conte-chelsea

According to the Telegraph, Kante is headed to Chelsea. So that means we're back on Pogba. But we'll have to fight Man U off as they've offered a monster transfer fee to Juve and a monster contract to Pogba.

that article is shite, not even featured on telegraph main pages. lacks credibility tbh

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/football/2016/07/01/chelsea-transfer-news-leicester-ngolo-kante-set-to-snub-arsenal/

What's so shite about it?

And apparently Matt Law is a fairly reliable reporter: http://www.talkmanutd.com/topic/807-reliability-index-for-transfer-talk/