REAL MADRID
Madrid weigh up pros and cons of Camavinga, Pogba & Fabián deals
Real Madrid coach Zinedine Zidane has made his desire to bolster the central area of the pitch clear, with three candidates in the running to fill the role.
Before the Covid-19 pandemic put a halt to football in virtually every part of the planet, Real Madrid were already working on the squad ahead of the 2020/21 season with the likes of loan players Achraf, Ceballos, Kubo and Odegaard all set to return to the Bernabéu cover the summer months. Re-enforcing the central midfield position has become a concern for the Madrid coach who has singled out Pogba or emerging talent Camavinga as candidates with the club looking at Fabián as another alternative for the role.
Paul Pogba
A target for Zidane and the LaLiga side for some time now with two failed bids (2016 and 2019) to secure the Frenchman's signature leaving a sour taste in president Florentino Perez's mouth. The midfielder is out of contract with Manchester United in June 2021 and the Old Trafford side are anxious for the player to extend his stay in the north of England. Last summer, United were asking for 180 million euro for his services and it's felt that Pogba could move to the Spanish capital for less than 100 million at present.
Pogba's salary is regarded as one of the negative aspects of any potential deal and moving on his current wage would see him move to the top of the big earners list at the club, leapfrogging both Ramos and Bale who currently pocket 14.5 million euro per season. If Pogba were to move it would certainly see an end to the Cardiff strikers time at the club with the French star sponsored by Adidas and is also seen by the marketing department as an attractive proposition for the global market. Trailing the likes of Messi, Cristiano and Neymar, Pogba is the fourth highest global earner with his over 17 million euro per annum deal at United.
Eduardo Camavinga
Camavinga is another player admired by Zidane and the coach sees the 17-year-old as a player destined to leave his mark on the game in the future. The Rennes midfielder has youth on his side and holds the record as being the first 2002 born player to have played in one of Europe's top five leagues. Early studies from Madrid scouts report that teenager is a humble person and a hard worker.
The transfer fee for the Ligue 1 player could be a stumbling block for any future acquisition with the player high on the wish-list. Real Madrid have never held any dealings with his agent Moussa Sissoko, who represents the interests of Barcelona's Dembelé and this may have some bearing on a potential destination for Camavinga.
Fabián Ruiz
Fabián is the candidate that has the support of the Real Madrid hierarchy as they see the
Spaniard him as the perfect successor to Isco, and that his time in Serie A with Napoli has improved his all round game.
Napoli are not interested in seeing the 24-year-old depart with the Andalusian's contract expiring with the Serie A outfit in June 2023 with the player holding no buy-out clause. Real Madrid would be obliged to negotiate with Napoli and his current price of 100 million euro could be a potential stumbling block in a return to Spanish soil.
