Real Madrid Offer Milan Late Bid For Kaka - Report

As the Kaka transfer drama rumbles on, Real Madrid are attempting to throw a late spanner in the works.

According to the News Of The World, the club contacted Kaka's father on Friday night and signalled their intent to sign the player.

Real Madrid are willing to match Manchester City's record-breaking €120 million bid, but they will not go anywhere near the estimated €562,000-a-week wages that City are said to be offering.

In their favour, however, is the fact that Kaka appears reluctant to move to a club that does not play at the highest level, a platform that Real Madrid can guarantee.
In addition, a move to the Bernabeu would only materialise in the summer, after their club elections, allowing the Brazilian star to play out the season at Milan.

Arjun Miglani, Goal.com

Van Nistelrooy still expects Ronaldo to join Madrid

Real Madrid striker Ruud van Nistelrooy believes that Manchester United’s Cristiano Ronaldo will one day make a move to Real Madrid.

In an interview with Spanish sports paper Marca, Van Nistelrooy said to expect that the Portuguese winger will join ‘Los Galacticos’ next summer, “or the one after”.

Ronaldo was close to a move this summer but Real Madrid and Manchester United never came to an agreement. After undergoing surgery, the forward recently made his return to the pitch.

The Portuguese star does have a long term contract with United, who seem anything but willing to let him go without a fight.

Despite this summer’s transfer rumours, Ronaldo’s popularity among United fans doesn’t seem to have received a knock.

We Must Learn From Our Errors - Robben

Real Madrid looked on the right track to end their 17 year winless curse at the Riazor, but in their haste to do so, they allowed Deportivo to snatch the winning goal just five minutes after Ruud van Nistelrooy had equalized.
While it is just the first game of the season and only one defeat, the two goals that the Galicians scored from set-pieces highlighted just how fragile Madrid’s defence can be.
And Dutch winger Arjen Robben, who did not have the best of games himself, stressed the need to learn from their faults immediately in order to move forward.
“Deportivo scored from our mistakes. We didn’t play badly, but we must learn from our errors and we have two weeks to work on that,” he said in the post-match interview.
“This is only the first game. There’s still a long way to go in the season,” he assured.
His fellow winger, Gonzalo Higuaín, also gave the same response when asked what went wrong in the game.
“We played well in the first half, but Depor’s first goal changed everything,” the Argentine pointed out.
“But we must look ahead now. It is necessary to improve on what we did wrong so we will have a clear idea how to play against Numancia.”
The international break will give Bernd Schuster and his troops an extra week to fine-tune their game, although the German might have to make do without several key figures.
KS Leong

Sergio Ramos Wants New Contract

Realizing that the club have the astronomical funds to go after Cristiano Ronaldo and now David Villa and the capacity to offer Robinho a new mega deal in an attempt to entice him to stay, Real Madrid rightback Sergio Ramos is ready to cash in by demanding a significant contract improvement.

According to El Mundo Deportivo, the player’s agent and brother, René Ramos scheduled a meeting with the club directors yesterday to request a raise from €6 million gross to €6 million net per season for his client.

Sergio Ramos was reportedly promised a review of his contract at the same time the club discussed a new agreement with Raúl, Guti and Iker Casillas, but the negotiations never reached completion for the 22 year old versatile defender.

It is no secret that the former Sevilla man has received countless offers from AC Milan and it looks as though he might just use that as a bargaining chip to get his contract improvement.

Calderón Hails Epic Performance

The Bernabéu club's president was overjoyed with the victory that gave los Merengues their first trophy of the new campaign and showed true determination.

Madrid saw Rafael Van der Vaart and Ruud van Nistelrooy sent off, but they still managed to score three goals in the final 15 minutes to win the encounter and the tie.

"Everyone is delighted with the way that we have won this trophy and it is what makes this club great and it will long be remembered," Calderón said.

"Scoring three goals with nine players will not happen very often. We have shown determination and spirit and that has made me very proud of everything we are doing here.

"The players are natural born winners and they do not know how to lose, it is not in their make-up. It is what makes Madrid so great and we are so happy and proud.

"Everyone has been great and showed great mentality as well as being physically strong. Now we have to take advantage of this and go for the other three trophies available this season.

"There is a feeling that this team cannot be stopped."

Madrid take on Sporting Lisbon on Wednesday evening in the annual Trofeo Bernabéu encounter that was postponed last summer after the death of Sevilla's Antonio Puerta.

Lucas Brown, Goal.com

Casillas: We Should Facilitate Robinho's Exit

Iker Casillas believes that a quick solution to the situation would be best for both parties, although he affirmed that the "news" won't affect them before their Spanish Super Cup clash with Valencia.

The Spanish international affirmed that if Madrid feel that Robinho wants to leave the club, they "will have to sell him, and they should sell him for a good price for the good of Real Madrid."

Casillas admitted that Robinho's sale would benefit the group "so that those of us who want to be here can have a united group who stand strong," and he added that if the Brazilian wants to leave "we will have to help him so that he enjoys his new club."

In respect to the possibility of David Villa joining Los Merengues, in the case that Robinho moves on, of course, Casillas expressed his "delight that a [Spanish] national team player can contribute to Real Madrid. He is a great player and also a good friend of mine," although he repeated that a decision has to be made by Schuster, Pedja Mijatovic or Calderon.

Calderón: No More Signings

Speaking to Marca just moments before his side’s kick-off against Valencia in the Supercopa at the Mestalla, Los Blancos chief, Ramón Calderón stressed that the club will not engage in any more transfer activities this season and further reiterated that Robinho will be staying at the Spanish capital.

“I have said before that our project to strengthen the squad is complete and I am sure this season will be one where we consolidate our position,” he explained.

“We have a very complete and balanced squad and today (against Valencia), we will see if this is the case. 

The president might have to rethink his decision after watching the defending La Liga champions surrender a one-goal lead to lose 3-2 at the Mestalla on Sunday evening in the first leg of the Supercopa.

One encouraging sign, however, is that Robinho did start and play a majority of the game and Calderón again repeated that the Brazilian will be playing in the white shirt this campaign.

“I’m absolutely sure he will stay with Real Madrid. I have seen him looking happy and animated in the hotel,” he revealed.

“Even the coach has said to me that he is training well and the fact that he will be a key player in the team today proves that,” concluded Calderón emphatically.

In terms of actually completing a signing, Real Madrid have been surprisingly quiet this season in the transfer market by their standards, bringing in only Rafael van der Vaart, former players Rubén de la Red and Javi García and Ezequiel Garay, who looks set to remain on loan with Racing Santander for a season.

Garay Remains With Racing

Ezequiel Garay signed for Real Madrid from Racing in June for €10 million but his new employers decided to loan him back to his former club for one season.
However, after Madrid competed in a few pre-season friendlies and their make-shift backline looked rather unconvincing, coach Bernd Schuster had requested the club to cancel the Argentine’s loan deal so he can join up with the blancos this campaign to reinforce their defence.
But now, it seems that Schuster has decided to scrap those plans and allow Garay to stay on with Racing as per the initial contract stipulation.
The reason for this turnaround, according to Marca, is that the German trainer is apparently happy with the players in his squad who can occupy the centreback role. Fabio Cannavaro, Pepe, Christoph Metzelder are the three natural central defenders, but Sergio Ramos and Gabriel Heinze can also slot into that position comfortably.
There is also youngster Javi García, who has spent the bulk of the pre-season doubling as a centreback and Rubén de la Red, who although is a midfielder, has played as a defender on several occasions last term with Getafe.
As such, Schuster has deemed that it is not necessary to rush Garay into the team as he has complete faith in his current crop of defenders. It is also believed that he does not want to cause the 21 year old any uneasiness while he is currently focusing on the Olympic Games with the Albiceleste.
And with the league kick-off only two weeks away, Schuster also does not want to disrupt the preparations of both clubs as their pre-season training program enters the final stages.
KS Leong

Robinho Revolts!

Robinho has begun a revolt at the club after being repeatedly denied a requested transfer to Chelsea. According to Spanish daily Marca, the 24 year old has retaliated by ditching a press conference that he was supposed to attend on Friday and worse still, he has refused to travel with the squad to Valencia for the first leg of the Supercopa on Sunday.

This comes just 24 hours after president Ramón Calderón personally rejected the Brazilian’s plea to leave for Stamford Bridge when the pair met face to face and the former Santos man was told that there is absolutely no chance of him exiting the Bernabéu. Those remarks appear to have broken the camel’s back, thus, forcing Robinho to resort to these extreme measures to have his voice heard.
The reports coming out of Spain are now suggesting that Madrid will only let go of their wing wizard if Blues chief executive, Peter Kenyon can make an improved bid of at least €40 million. KS Leong

Benzema For Los Blancos?

According to Catalan daily, Sport, defending La Liga champions Real Madrid are looking at the possibility of signing Karim Benzema from Olympique Lyonnais to reinforce their forward line.

Despite boasting the likes of Raúl, Robinho, Javier Saviola and Gonzalo Higuaín, Ruud van Nistelrooy is the only true target striker in the squad and coach Bernd Schuster believes there’s an urgent need to bring in another proven goalscorer to act as cover.

The German trainer has spent months requesting a striker from president Ramón Calderón and his wishes are yet to be granted. He is reportedly desperate to recruit a specifically traditional ‘Number 9’, an out and out striker that could provide reliable back-up for van Nistelrooy and eventually become his successor in a few years’ time.

Calderón has spent so much time and effort trying to lure Cristiano Ronaldo away from Manchester United that the club could now be running out of time and options to hire a new hitman, with Schuster eager to have an idea of a finalized squad before Sunday’s Supercopa clash at Valencia.

Didier Drogba recently just pledged his future to Chelsea, David Villa has confirmed that he will remain at Valencia, Dimitar Berbatov seems destine to head for Old Trafford while Klaas Jan Huntelaar, who does not really convince Schuster anyway, has decided to stay with Ajax Amsterdam.

The best, and perhaps only, option now for Los Merengues could be the highly rated 20 year old, Benzema. The only obstacle for the ‘White House’ is that Lyon president, Jean-Michel Aulas, has slapped a €50 million price tag on the young sensation and Calderón may not be too keen to splash that amount for a player who could be spending his first season largely on the bench.

KS Leong

Van Der Vaart Wants Real Improvement

With pre-season nearly over it's time for the real battles to begin in Spain, starting with the two legged Super Cup clash between league champions Real Madrid and Copa Del Rey winners Valencia. Van Der Vaart recognises though that following a lacklustre performance against Frankurt, Real are going to have to improve.

“There are still three training sessions before the Super Cup and in them we must improve on some aspects in which we failed today,” mused the Dutch midfielder.

With two games under his belt already the new signing from Hamburg said that he felt he was fitting into the team well, saying, “ I am very happy with my games for Madrid. Things are turning out well and already I feel very integrated in the team.”

Another player who took part in the game was defender Gabriel Heinze. Speaking to Marca following the match he said, “The game leaves us with good feelings but the result is not the best because Madrid always wants to win. But we must learn from the errors we have committed and against Valencia we must win and score more goals.”

Whilst coach Bernd Schuster was disappointed with mistakes at both ends of the pitch he said he could take some positives from the game. One of the biggest of those was that German defender Christopher Metzelder completed the second half successfully. Following an injury plagued season last year the Real Madrid player said he hopes for better this year.

“I hope to have a great season and to have more luck than last year,” he concluded.

James Walker-Roberts

Racing Want Torres Or Javi García For Garay

The Cantabrian outfit agreed a €10m deal for the Argentinian defender to join Los Merengues, but part of the deal was that he would continue to play for them for a further year.

Madrid originally agreed with the plan, but have now changed their minds after Bernd Schuster insisted that his options at the back needed to be strengthened.

While Racing are not adverse to seeing Garay leave this year, president Francisco Pernía will insist that he is replaced in their squad by a player from the Bernabéu.

Miguel Torres is one option, but he has been labelled as unavailable by Los Merengues in the past and is said to be a part of Schuster's plans for the new campaign.

It may come down to a choice for the German coach, because Racing's other choice would be Javi García and neither he nor Madrid want to see him leave the club again.

Having returned to the Bernabéu at the end of last term after a year on loan with Osasuna, the 21-year-old is keen to push his way into the first-team at the club where he rose through the ranks.

Lucas Brown, Goal.com

Robinho Is Definitely Staying - Calderón

ust 24 hours after Chelsea made their official €25 million offer to Real Madrid for the services of Robinho, Los Blancos chief Ramón Calderón has come out to squash any probability of their Brazilian superstar exiting the Santiago Bernabéu.

“He is definitely going to stay with us. The coach has said he wants him in our team,” Calderón said, in an interview with BBC Radio Five Live.

“We do not see any possibility of him leaving Real Madrid. We know Chelsea are interested in signing him, but he’s one of the best players in our team and we need him for the new season,” the president added.

It is no secret that Robinho has been extremely disgruntled with the club in recent weeks over various issues. After being used as a possible pawn in their relentless pursuit of Cristiano Ronaldo, the 24 year old was then refused permission to play in the Olympic Games in Beijing and now his wishes for a move to Stamford Bridge has been rejected.

The player’s agent, Wagner Ribeiro, who was so instrumental in orchestrating his switch to Spain from Santos, has already revealed to Marca that his client is “very angry at the way the Madrid bosses are treating him”.

“He calls me everyday to find out if anyone has spoken to me about his future and I always have to tell him no one has called,” said Ribeiro.

“His ambition is to become the best player in the world but he won’t achieve that at Madrid because they treat him like a normal player,” he added.

Having resolved one mammoth transfer saga this week, it looks as though Real Madrid may have another one on their hands brewing out of control.

KS Leong

Schuster Shrugs Off Ronaldo Decision

The German coach maintained that he would have welcomed the Portuguese star to the club, but was keen for the club to explore other possible signings too.

Ronaldo stated on Tuesday that he would be staying with Manchester United and Schuster accepted the choice and reiterated his belief in the squad he has.

"We have to respect his decision. He was free to do what he wanted and it is a shame that he will not be joining us because he is a player that would have improved what is already a great team," he told reporters in Colombia.

"But that is over now. We have a superb side to start the league with and to play for all the aims that we have. It is a decision that we will just have to accept.

"I think it is well known that we have talked a lot about Cristiano Ronaldo and that if we did that then there could be problems down the line, especially if he did not come like this."

Schuster is reported to have asked president Ramón Calderón for at least three players at the end of last season and became irked that all the club's efforts went into attracting Ronaldo.

He is pleased to have signed Rafael Van der Vaart, but hinted that he could add at least one more new face to his squad before the end of August.

"Now there is not much time to buy left, but we are remaining calm because we have complete faith in the squad we have," he continued.

"We have signed Van der Vaart and within three months we will have Sneijder back. Now nobody should be nervous and say that we have to sign players.

"Only players that can improve what we have will be wanted and for a team like Real Madrid that is very difficult."

Lucas Brown, Goal.com

The Ronaldo Case Is Closed - Fergie

Ronaldo's has been the saga of the summer, as Madrid have made clear their desire to bring the player to the Santiago Bernabeu but Man United have been unrelenting in their resistance and utter refusal to even entertain the notion of selling the 23-year-old.

The Portuguese international has strongly suggested on a number of occasions since his side were eliminated from Euro 2008 that he wishes to join Madrid and will try to sign this summer, but Madrid have finally grown impatient and instead signed Rafael van der Vaart, formally introduced today as 'probably their last signing of the summer'.

As such, it seems as though Ronaldo will be staying at the club for a further season, at which point it is widely expected Sir Alex will allow him to leave.

"The matter is closed now," Ferguson told Sky Sports News. "He is a Manchester United player, it's finished.

"He is going to play here believe me."

Ronaldo's compatriot, former United assistant and now coach of the Portuguese national team, Carlos Queiroz, recently left the club for his country and speculation has been rife over who Ferguson will choose as his replacement, particularly as the Portuguese was poised to succeed the legendary Scot when he finally steps down, which is rumoured to be within the next three years.

Sir Alex has maintained that he will take his time in appointing a new assistant: "No news [on a new assistant] we take our time with that.

"We hope to have someone in by the end of September but we never rush these things. It is hard to replace good men.

"We have good coaches here, I have no problems with that aspect of it.

"I am just looking for a particular type of person to assist me in certain ways."

Brian O'Ryan, Goal.com

Real Madrid confirm move for Van der Vaart

MADRID, Aug 4 (Reuters) - Dutch international midfielder Rafael van der Vaart has agreed a move from SV Hamburg to Real Madrid, the player said on Monday.

"Last night everything came together and I am now moving to Real Madrid," the 25-year-old said on his website (www.vandervaartofficial.com).

"I have always wanted to move to Spain because I have a strong bond with that country. Now I'm going to play for Real Madrid it's a dream come true. Tomorrow afternoon I will be presented."

Spanish media have reported he is set to sign a five-year contract for a fee of around 10 million euros.

The former Ajax player, whose mother is Spanish, will be the fifth Dutchman in the Real Madrid squad, joining Ruud van Nistelrooy, Arjen Robben, Royston Drenthe and Wesley Sneijder at the Bernabeu.

Van der Vaart's statement came just hours after his compatriot Sneijder suffered a serious knee injury in Real's 1-0 friendly defeat by Arsenal on Sunday.

Van der Vaart, who joined Hamburg in 2005, has been a long-time target of Real Madrid and was reported to have been signed at the specific request of coach Bernd Schuster.

His move to Real will increase speculation that the club are beginning to lose hope that they will be able to lure Cristiano Ronaldo away from Manchester United.

Van Der Vaart Hopes Dream Comes True Next Week

The Dutch international attempted to not say much in order to be respectful to Hamburg, but he could not hide his desire to move to the Bernabéu as soon as possible.

Madrid are in London with the Bundesliga outfit with both teams participating in the Emirates Cup at Arsenal's stadium along with Juventus and the host team and talks are expected to continue.

"For the time being I am still a Hamburg player, but I expect everything to be resolved quickly and that the two clubs will reach an agreement," Van der Vaart told AS.

"It is a dream of mine to play for Real Madrid and if, in the end, it happens then I would be delighted. I cannot deny that.

"At the moment I cannot say any more and I do not want to speak about this much out of respect for my current club.

"I am just staying calm. I have to be like that and just wait and see what happens. The truth is I am happy.

"Of course, it is pleasing to know that a club as great as Real Madrid are interested in me and it is logical that the journalists are spending a lot of time focussing on this.

"The first thing I have to do is consider Hamburg, but everyone knows I would be delighted to go to Real Madrid. But right now I have a club and I am fine."

Van der Vaart has revealed that he has spoken to his international team-mate and friend from their Ajax days Wesley Sneijder, and knows all about Madrid.

"He has said he expects me to join him," the Hamburg star joked. "He has told me that it is great there and that everyone is waiting for me. I hope to have more news on Monday."

Lucas Brown, Goal.com

Robinho Tells Madrid: Let Me Join Chelsea

The Brazilian star's frustrations were let out during a round of negotiations with club president Ramón Calderón and coach Bernd Schuster with the player making his feelings clear, according to Marca.

After being told what could be on offer at Stamford Bridge, Robinho feels let down by Madrid's delaying tactics over a new contract and then the offer well below his expectations.

Having been mentioned as a possible makeweight in the Spanish champions' bid for Ronaldo, the 24-year-old feels unappreciated and has let los Merengues know his true feelings.

"Let me go to Chelsea," Marca claim Robinho told Calderón and Schuster. "I want to go to Chelsea in the same wat that Ronaldo wants to come to Madrid. It is the same thing."

Schuster went public with his desire to keep the former Santos star at the club, but that has done little to reassure the player that the hierarchy feel the same way.

While Madrid are said to have offered him a double-your-money contract of €4m, Robinho knows that Chelsea would hand him a salary of nearly €6m-per-year.

Before the meeting where Robinho explained his desire to go to London, Schuster thought that he had finally convinced the player to remain in Spain.

"I've talked with him and he knows perfectly that he is an important part of our plans," the trainer told reporters. "He is a key player and we are not thinking about if he leaves or not."

Robinho may well be using the Blues' interest to force Madrid to raise their contract offer, but with the London club ready to make an official move he could yet see his wish come true.

Lucas Brown, Goal.com

Schuster: No Dramas With The Club

Schuster’s comments this past Wednesday that he is the last to know anything about the club’s transfer activities caused an uproar, sparking claims that the relationship continues to deteriorate between the head honchos and the coach.

But after club president Ramón Calderón laughed off those remarks the following day, Schuster himself has now played down the commotion.

Holding a press conference in a hotel in London, where the team are preparing to take part in the Emirates Cup, the German trainer affirmed that he had already spoken with both Calderón and sporting director, Predrag Mijatovic, and that the press should just leave it at that.

“I have already spoken to the president about the situation and I’ve already seen Mijatovic at the hotel. It is not necessary to make a big deal out of it anymore. There is nothing wrong,” he sniped.

When asked to comment about the ongoing transfer saga with Cristiano Ronaldo, the 48 year old got even colder when he responded in German in an attempt to kill off the topic quickly.

“Ask the club. That’s not my job. I do not have money to sign Cristiano.”

When a reporter from News Of The World took it to understand if he meant Real Madrid did not have the funds, Schuster shot back: “Are you well? I did not say that.”

The ex-Getafe boss then invariably turned his attention to the real football on the pitch, giving the reporters a rough idea who could be lining up against HSV Hamburg on Saturday.

“It’s too early for the internationals (Casillas, Sergio Ramos, de la Red, Metzelder) to return to play because they’ve only been in training for a week and we don’t want to risk anything. They’ll need another week of training,” he stressed.

“As for Robinho, he has returned to train normally without any injuries. He is pretty fit and it’s possible he will see some minutes on the pitch.”

Finally, Schuster emphasized the importance of having a chance to pit themselves against the likes of Arsenal, Juventus and Hamburg.

“This is a great tournament for us because playing against some of Europe’s most prestigious and important teams will give us an idea of where we stand at the moment. Then, we will have another week to prepare before the Supercup and hopefully, that will be the first of our titles this season,” he concluded.  

KS Leong, Goal.comA

Ronaldo hope for Real Madrid

CRISTIANO RONALDO is going to personally deliver a blunt demand to Alex Ferguson next week: “Let me go to Spain.”

Real Madrid were resigned to missing out on the Manchester United ace.

But pro-Real paper AS reported the club’s hopes were revived when Ron’s agent Jorge Mendes passed on a message to Bernabeu president Ramon Calderon that the winger will sort out his future next week.

Mendes said Ron’s message was: "Stay calm, I will sort it out next week. I will go to Manchester and tell them my only desire is to play at Real Madrid and this decision is non-negotiable."

Real are pinning their hopes on the winger dragging United to the negotiating table.

Ronaldo, 23, is undergoing physiotherapy in Lisbon and will return to England to continue his recuperation from ankle surgery.

Calderon has staked his reputation on the bid to snatch Ronaldo from Old Trafford.

Yet he was told by his board in a fractious meeting on Monday to give up on the player as the club were in danger of not signing anyone this summer.

The Real supremo knows there is nothing the club can do if United stick to their guns.

Ronaldo is expected back at Carrington early next week, although he will visit Amsterdam first. Niek van Dijk, the surgeon who carried out his ankle op asked Ronnie on July 7 to return for a four-week check-up.

That means the United star is likely to stop off in Holland on his way back to Manchester from Lisbon, where he is currently working with the Portuguese FA’s physio.

So it could be Monday night or even Tuesday morning when he finally comes face- to-face with his United boss.

And their meeting could provide a conclusion to the summer-long saga.

Meanwhile, United hope Tottenham’s bid to bring in new strikers will lead to Dimitar Berbatov’s move to Old Trafford.

Spurs want Russians Andrei Arshavin and Roman Pavlyuchenko.

And Spurs hope to balance the books by selling the Bulgarian striker, 27, to United.

But boss Ferguson does not want to pay more than £28million for former Bayer Leverkusen man Berba.

Schuster: I Am The Last To Know Anything

The disgruntled German trainer took a swipe at club president Ramón Calderón and sporting director Predrag Mijatovic, having already revealed the lack of communication on previous occasions.

With the chase for Cristiano Ronaldo looking less likely to produce an outcome that Madrid want, Schuster admitted that he was not kept in the loop about the progress or lack of it.

"I am the last to find out anything," he told reporters at the club's Austrian training camp in Irdning.

"At last I am content because the president has arrived and intends to speak to me and clear things up. We came up with some ideas some time ago that were quite clear.

"I do not now if they have changed, but it would be good to find out. I am not that bothered as I am used to be being more or less the last to find things out.

"Everyone else seems to know things before me. It is not great and nor is not being given any answers. I would like to know more."

The outburst could see Schuster reprimanded again by Calderón after being reminded on several occasions this season to be more careful about his comments when speaking to the press.

With Madird focussing on making Ronaldo their only signing for so long, the coach has become unhappy because he was hoping to add a number of new faces to strengthen his squad.

Lucas Brown, Goal.com