So many players on the bubble, I have absolutely no idea what is going to happen to:

Mariano, RDT, Modric, Bale, Asensio, even Isco, Brahim, Rodrygo, Vazquez, Llorente, Ceballos and to a lesser extent: Reguilon, and Vallejo because I'm pretty sure they will be loaned.

The problem is how many players are on such high wages, it is going to be very difficult to move them on. Bale and one of Isco or Modric being included for a deal for Pogba would really simplify matters.

Hapless_Hans wrote:

Mr Nick09 wrote:@Hans, Madrid signing African black players, please comment

I said it before, I'm amazed, I wouldn't have thought Perez would do it. I also already congratulated you on your personal fantasies becoming true. Great transfers.
This stops with Mendy though. Pogba is a Galactico so he can still come, but Ndombéle SURELY is a no no now

my fantasies are informed lol. It's Pogba or Ndombele from the look of things, I wanted both, not happy about it but I will be alright

Not to mention the right winger

Mr Nick09 wrote:

Hapless_Hans wrote:

Mr Nick09 wrote:@Hans, Madrid signing African black players, please comment

I said it before, I'm amazed, I wouldn't have thought Perez would do it. I also already congratulated you on your personal fantasies becoming true. Great transfers.
This stops with Mendy though. Pogba is a Galactico so he can still come, but Ndombéle SURELY is a no no now

my fantasies are informed lol. It's Pogba or Ndombele from the look of things, I wanted both, not happy about it but I will be alright

Same, who would you rather have in Zidane's system?

Apparently Spurs are pushing hard for Ndombele. I feel it will be a big loss if we don't sign him. However with all the recent signings I think the club will now focus on selling before making more moves.

vanDEEZ wrote:So many players on the bubble, I have absolutely no idea what is going to happen to:

Mariano, RDT, Modric, Bale, Asensio, even Isco, Brahim, Rodrygo, Vazquez, Llorente, Ceballos and to a lesser extent: Reguilon, and Vallejo because I'm pretty sure they will be loaned.

The problem is how many players are on such high wages, it is going to be very difficult to move them on. Bale and one of Isco or Modric being included for a deal for Pogba would really simplify matters.

Based on what Ceballos said in an interview yesterday, I think we have some insight as to what will happen with players on the bubble. Ceballos said, I’m paraphrasing, that Zidane was very direct and clear with him, that he will decide what he will do after the U21 (where he is a leader) completes. I take it that Zidane told him if he stays he will only see very limited action.

i therefore think this is the philosophy.

1. We need to shed some players, as we are overbooked and we need cash to make the midfielder signing. So first off, see what players can be sold such as James, Navas, Kovacic, Bale, Isco, L. Hernandez, Mariano, Mayoral, Modric, Marcelo.

2. Then depending on who has been sold and who comes in, see if the remaining players will accept a backup or rotational role. E.g. Modric, Isco, Marcelo.

3. Re remaining youngsters, see where they fit in scheme of things and if the answer is no fit, loan them out or if the answer is they are needed, esp. in the case of Llorente, they stay or see if there is another alternative (another kid who can fit the role) while you loan out Llorente or Brahim to develop more. In other words the youngsters won’t be decided until training camp unless they go by themselves, e.g. Ceballos.

4. For Bale, if they can’t shed him, they might just eat some of his salary!

The're going to have to eat Bale's salary... issue is, Bale is being a pig. He has to accept the transfer. To sign the deal he's asking for payraise... i.e. to go to Man U, he wants 600k per week!!! reason being, he know that Madrid will pay some of it as will Man U. So he's basically doubling his normal asking wage.

What a freeloader.

So Sports, what do you think Zidane will do if Bale is still here come September. Will he have him as part of 25 squad and mostly on bench or will he exclude him from squad and let him golf?

Have him sit on the bench and bring him in for extra time whenever we can.

That really will be a shame! Bad enough that we pay a ransom for this fraud, but also that he takes a spot that could be used for someone more deserving!

I personally think it would be best to loan him!

LOL @ Pogba being called a fraud.

Some of the things you read on here...

That was referring to Bale!

jibers wrote:LOL @ Pogba being called a fraud.

Some of the things you read on here...

Yes, he's a fraud.

jibers wrote:LOL @ Pogba being called a fraud.

Some of the things you read on here...

It's unbelievable.

Interesting parallels between 09 and 19

Ronaldo/Hazard - Standout EPL LW made to be marquee signing. Benzema/Jovic - Young ST. Kaka/Rodrygo - Brazilian attacker (not much of a parallel there). Xabi/Pogba or Ndom or Eriksen - Creative CM from probably the EPL. Arbeloa/Mendy. Albiol/Militao. The last two are just positional, but you see what I am getting at.

Obviously a 24 y/o Ronaldo is levels above a 28 y/o Hazard in terms of a signing, but I think we are doing a better job this time around of being more balanced across all signings. In 09 the most positive impact signings were obviously Ronaldo, Benzema took some time, and Xabi. Time will tell but I think Rodygo, Militao, and Mendy all have a better shot at having better RM careers than their 09 counterparts.

jibers wrote:LOL @ Pogba being called a fraud.

Some of the things you read on here...

Like you haven't written some ridiculous things yourself lol. And Pogba is not a fraud, that's mad people talk imo.

Zidane is gonna force Madrid to pay Pogba and it's gonna be beautiful

Is it true that we signed the FC Tokyo kid for a free because Barca trusted Transfermarkt which said his contract expired on the 31st Jan 2020 when it actually expired on 1st June 2019

Anyone know anything about him?

It's reported that Atletico will pay us 40 millions for Llorente

Such a shame ro lose such a great player while we still have about a dozen useless players in the squad. Oh well, I guess it wasn't meant to be. Good luck to him

It looks like Hermoso will also be signing for Atletico to replace Lucas. His release clause is 40 mil but it's understood they will pay less. We will get 50% of that value. So assuming they pay 30 millions, we will get 15 mil

Receiving between 55-60 mil for the sale of Llorente and Hermoso, is a good haul. If we agree a deal worth 50 mil for Kovacic with Inter that's 100 mil back

That doesn’t quite make sense because we have a buyback for something like 8mil. We might as well buy Hermoso back and sell him on to make the 22m

We are not doing that, Bayern boss said something about not wanting to sign James just to sell him off after, he considers that as human trafficking and that strung a cord with Perez. He acknowledged that in his interview last month.

So we are not signing Hermoso back, just to sell him to Atletico, even if on paper that would return us like 30 millions

No proper DM backup might bite us. Bill any good DM prospects in Castilla?

Mr Nick09 wrote:We are not doing that, Bayern boss said something about not wanting to sign James just to sell him off after, he considers that as human trafficking and that strung a cord with Perez. He acknowledged that in his interview last month.

So we are not signing Hermoso back, just to sell him to Atletico, even if on paper that would return us like 30 millions

That's the dumbest thing in the world lol. It's nothing like human trafficking... what a horrible analogy.

Perucho21 wrote:No proper DM backup might bite us. Bill any good DM prospects in Castilla?

Nope, I don’t think there are any good prospects at Castilla, DM or otherwise. It’s a bad 3rd level team! Maybe this new Japanese Messi plus Raul can give this team some hope!

There was an article in Marca yesterday suggesting which configurations Zidane would use.

It suggested 2 box to box midfielders, Pogba and Kroos, backed up with Casemiro and Valverde. Thus the sale of Llorente, and probably also Ceballos.

It had a 4-2-3-1

Pogba (Casemiro).    Kroos (Valverde)

Vinicius (Asensio).    modric (Isco).    Hazard (Rodrygo)

Benzema (Jovic)

And a 4-3-3

only difference was Modric  / Isco back a bit. Plus in this later they had Lucas rather than Asensio.

Obviously a lot of this depends on signing Pogba (or Ndombele) and retaining Modric and Isco, but it does explain the sale of Llorente / Ceballos plus the trial of Vinicius on right. Also why Eriksen is not getting considered. I would assume if one of Modric or Isco goes either Asensio or Ceballos would provide that backup role?  By the way, with this suggested lineup, Lucas looks like the extra, i.e. squad player!

But, I don’t like this as it suggests Nick was right and I wrong re Jovic vs Vinicius as starter!!!