While the Bernabeu Stadium board machinates over the futures of Sergio Ramos and Iker Casillas while also pursuing David de Gea, there isn't a lot left for Rafael Benitez to do on the transfer front at Real Madrid.
However, there is one he can sort while chat continues over the potential departures of his club captains. He needs a replacement back-up striker.
Javier Hernandez didn't exactly carve his name into the history of Real Madrid during his loan spell last season but he did a job when called upon.
Scoring the decisive goal against Atletico Madrid in the Champions League quarterfinals was worth his loan fee on its own. However, he won't be returning to the club for the new season.
What Real need is a striker on the way up -- or one or the way down who still has enough in the tank to score a few goals but with sufficient maturity to accept a bit-part role.
Someone who may fit that latter category is Robin van Persie, who seems to be on his way out of Manchester United yet could have a couple of good seasons left in him.
Benitez would fancy his chances of getting Van Persie firing again and the service the Dutchman could expect at the Bernabeu would certainly be a draw after a season of famine at United. Louis van Gaal even deployed Van Persie in midfield last season (unsurprisingly, he was left frustrated as United lost 1-0 at home to West Brom) and the former Arsenal man has been linked with an Old Trafford exit this summer.
The lure of Real Madrid would surely turn the player's head as his role at United seems unclear with Van Gaal sure to spend big once again this summer.
Elsewhere, Real should also be looking at players with a profile like Diego Rolan's. The Uruguayan forward was one of very few bright points for the misfiring Celeste at the Copa America and hit a respectable 15 league goals for Bordeaux last season.
Rolan is on the market and Real shouldn't have too much trouble blowing Premier League suitors out of the water for the 22-year-old, who would cost in the region of €10million and has the potential to be a world-class player.
Benitez has done little more than recall a couple of loan players in Casemiro and Lucas Vazquez so far this summer.
The former was always likely to happen -- the Brazilian holding midfielder had a decent season at Porto -- while the return of Vazquez was less obvious but apparently at the request of the new coach.
Benitez targeted reinforcements in those positions when he arrived and he's now got them, although they are hardly the sort of signings to set pulses racing among a fan base more accustomed to Galactico arrivals under the presidency of Florentino Perez.
Still, he has been cunning in his dealings so far. Vazquez was schooled at Valdebebas and although Casemiro was signed from Sao Paulo rather than coming through the ranks, the Bernabeu swiftly took him to heart. There's nothing Real fans enjoy more than one of their own flying the flag (except maybe booing one of their own when it tickles their fancy).
Real Madrid are sometimes referred to as the circus and aside from the black and white elephant in the Bernabeu boardroom (Alvaro Morata, whose goals helped Juventus derail Madrid's Champions League defence) the squad at Castilla has been picked apart this summer.
Burgui has gone to Espanyol while Alvaro Medran has moved to Getafe and Derik Osede has been linked with Bolton. And with Perez electing to disband Real Madrid C, the Castilla pot has been diluted further with those from the third-string. Up front as things stand, Castilla have Raul de Tomas, Eero Markkanen and Mariano Diaz on the books. It's hard to see any of them entering Benitez's plans any time soon.
Ideally, Benitez and staff would like to get Jese back to where he was before his serious knee injury. The 22-year-old can play anywhere across the front line and he is a useful squad player, but doubts persist over his ability to regain the form that had Vicente del Bosque pencilling his name into his 2014 World Cup squad with Spain. With his position already undermined by the re-signing of Vazquez, Jese's season could be less than harmonious.
There has been plenty of speculation that Benitez has designs on using Cristiano Ronaldo through the middle but the Portuguese doesn't particularly enjoy playing there and has rarely excelled when asked to do so for club or country.
Ronaldo prefers the left, where he can cut in and put defenders off balance, but he has expressed his desire to work under Benitez and will play wherever he is asked. Whether that is at the top of a 4-2-3-1 or part of a front two or three remains to be seen.
What effect that will have on Karim Benzema's status in the team is unclear. The Frenchman's starting place has been under little threat for several seasons but he will not view a reduced role with much amusement particularly in a European Championship year.
Whatever formation Benitez settles on as his Plan A, after six seasons together and taking into account the understanding that has been forged between Ronaldo and Benzema, playing them in tandem would seem fairly obvious.
In any case, injuries or suspensions affecting one or the other will require a new "Chicharito" to step in from time to time and the chances of one being found at Valdebebas are extremely slim.
It's a buyer's market at the moment. Lukas Podolski has been snapped up for £1.8m by Galatasaray after scoring 31 goals in 82 appearances for Arsenal and while he is on the wrong side of 30, he is also a World Cup winner with 48 international goals and a wealth of experience.
Benitez could pick up just about anybody he likes to fill the Hernandez role at Real Madrid, within reason.
While he's waiting for the rest of the transfer merry-go-round to pan out, he needs to get cracking.
Hernandez arrived late and almost as an afterthought last summer. Benitez will be keen to make sure that doesn't happen again
However, there is one he can sort while chat continues over the potential departures of his club captains. He needs a replacement back-up striker.
Javier Hernandez didn't exactly carve his name into the history of Real Madrid during his loan spell last season but he did a job when called upon.
Scoring the decisive goal against Atletico Madrid in the Champions League quarterfinals was worth his loan fee on its own. However, he won't be returning to the club for the new season.
What Real need is a striker on the way up -- or one or the way down who still has enough in the tank to score a few goals but with sufficient maturity to accept a bit-part role.
Someone who may fit that latter category is Robin van Persie, who seems to be on his way out of Manchester United yet could have a couple of good seasons left in him.
Benitez would fancy his chances of getting Van Persie firing again and the service the Dutchman could expect at the Bernabeu would certainly be a draw after a season of famine at United. Louis van Gaal even deployed Van Persie in midfield last season (unsurprisingly, he was left frustrated as United lost 1-0 at home to West Brom) and the former Arsenal man has been linked with an Old Trafford exit this summer.
The lure of Real Madrid would surely turn the player's head as his role at United seems unclear with Van Gaal sure to spend big once again this summer.
Elsewhere, Real should also be looking at players with a profile like Diego Rolan's. The Uruguayan forward was one of very few bright points for the misfiring Celeste at the Copa America and hit a respectable 15 league goals for Bordeaux last season.
Rolan is on the market and Real shouldn't have too much trouble blowing Premier League suitors out of the water for the 22-year-old, who would cost in the region of €10million and has the potential to be a world-class player.
Benitez has done little more than recall a couple of loan players in Casemiro and Lucas Vazquez so far this summer.
The former was always likely to happen -- the Brazilian holding midfielder had a decent season at Porto -- while the return of Vazquez was less obvious but apparently at the request of the new coach.
Benitez targeted reinforcements in those positions when he arrived and he's now got them, although they are hardly the sort of signings to set pulses racing among a fan base more accustomed to Galactico arrivals under the presidency of Florentino Perez.
Still, he has been cunning in his dealings so far. Vazquez was schooled at Valdebebas and although Casemiro was signed from Sao Paulo rather than coming through the ranks, the Bernabeu swiftly took him to heart. There's nothing Real fans enjoy more than one of their own flying the flag (except maybe booing one of their own when it tickles their fancy).
Real Madrid are sometimes referred to as the circus and aside from the black and white elephant in the Bernabeu boardroom (Alvaro Morata, whose goals helped Juventus derail Madrid's Champions League defence) the squad at Castilla has been picked apart this summer.
Burgui has gone to Espanyol while Alvaro Medran has moved to Getafe and Derik Osede has been linked with Bolton. And with Perez electing to disband Real Madrid C, the Castilla pot has been diluted further with those from the third-string. Up front as things stand, Castilla have Raul de Tomas, Eero Markkanen and Mariano Diaz on the books. It's hard to see any of them entering Benitez's plans any time soon.
There has been plenty of speculation that Benitez has designs on using Cristiano Ronaldo through the middle but the Portuguese doesn't particularly enjoy playing there and has rarely excelled when asked to do so for club or country.
Ronaldo prefers the left, where he can cut in and put defenders off balance, but he has expressed his desire to work under Benitez and will play wherever he is asked. Whether that is at the top of a 4-2-3-1 or part of a front two or three remains to be seen.
What effect that will have on Karim Benzema's status in the team is unclear. The Frenchman's starting place has been under little threat for several seasons but he will not view a reduced role with much amusement particularly in a European Championship year.
Whatever formation Benitez settles on as his Plan A, after six seasons together and taking into account the understanding that has been forged between Ronaldo and Benzema, playing them in tandem would seem fairly obvious.
In any case, injuries or suspensions affecting one or the other will require a new "Chicharito" to step in from time to time and the chances of one being found at Valdebebas are extremely slim.
It's a buyer's market at the moment. Lukas Podolski has been snapped up for £1.8m by Galatasaray after scoring 31 goals in 82 appearances for Arsenal and while he is on the wrong side of 30, he is also a World Cup winner with 48 international goals and a wealth of experience.
Benitez could pick up just about anybody he likes to fill the Hernandez role at Real Madrid, within reason.
While he's waiting for the rest of the transfer merry-go-round to pan out, he needs to get cracking.
Hernandez arrived late and almost as an afterthought last summer. Benitez will be keen to make sure that doesn't happen again
Post a Comment