Five clubs meet Neymar price '


Santos have confirmed that five clubs have met Neymar's release clause of €45million (£40.3million) and they have been given permission to talk with the Brazilian sensation.

The clubs are understood to be Real Madrid, Barcelona, Chelsea, Manchester City and Russian side Anzhi Makhachkala.
It was previously believed that Real and Chelsea, who have been tracking Neymar for years, were leading the chase with the Spaniards in pole position.
But now it has emerged that they are not alone in the race for his signature, with Barca and City also showing their hand.
The outsiders of the five are Anzhi Makhachkala - although they have plenty of finances and they would hope their current Brazilian contingent, which includes Roberto Carlos, could help push a deal through.
Now the clubs in question are set for talks, according to Santos president Luis Alvaro de Oliveira Ribeiro.

Release

"We don't want to sell the player, but of course there is a release clause in his contract that can be paid and five European clubs have offered to match the clause," ESPN Brasil.
"I cannot name them because there is an agreement between Santos and the clubs, but they are the most important European clubs.
"They have asked to speak to the player and obviously we've allowed them to.
"The clubs have behaved ethically. They sought out Santos first and were willing to pay the clause. With this ethical approach, they can talk to anyone - with Neymar's father, with [agent] Wagner Ribeiro, and with the representatives of Neymar."
Ribeiro also took time to have a dig at Chelsea over their previous attempt to land the 19-year-old.
"Last year, Chelsea's attitude was different. Their first action was to seek out the player's representatives," he stated.
He also remains confident that, after helping Santos lift the Copa Libertadores earlier this month, he could stay put and reject the move to Europe.
"These clubs can come along and make their offerings, but if he wants to stay at Santos he can say no and continue at Santos," he concluded.
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Drenthe keen on Benfica '


Real Madrid's forgotten Dutch midfielder Royston Drenthe is interested in a move to Portuguese side Benfica, according to his agent.

Dutch international Drenthe, 24, joined Madrid from Feyenoord for €14 million in the summer of 2007 but was farmed out on loan to Spanish side Hercules last season.

Drenthe has been told there is no future for him at Madrid and his agent, Sigi Lens, admitted a number of clubs had enquired about his services, including Benfica.

The left sided ace is reported to have been offered to Benfica as part of the possible deal which could take Fabio Coentrao to Real Madrid.

"Benfica are a big team and the Portuguese league is strong and competitive," Lens said in Marca. "This is what a footballer always likes.

"A lot of clubs have asked about Drenthe but there is nothing concrete as of yet, although there are several months before the transfer window closes.

"Madrid have not indicated anything either, and so I expect Drenthe to be with the team [for pre-season]."

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Both Real Madrid and Barcelona Make Bids For Fabregas '


There is quite an Iberian battle going on for Arsenal captain Cesc Fabregas, with both La Liga sides making bids to Arsenal for their captain.

Barcelona opened the bidding. for a player they have tapped up for three seasons, last week when they made an official bid of £27m. The bid was immediately turned down by Arsenal who have a price tag of around £44m on Fabregas.

While everyone was waiting for Barcelona to come back with a new bid, the Spanish newspaper Sport reported yesterday that Real Madrid have made an official offer of 50m Euros (£45m) for Fabregas.

It was a fascinating move by Mourinho who is said to be interested in having Fabregas in his midfield alongside Xabi Alonso, Sami Khedira and Mesut Ozil. Who knows whether his interest in the Arsenal captain is genuine or whether he is just trying to drive up the price that Barcelona will have to pay.

Darren Dein, Cesc Fabregas’ agent has denied that his client will even consider a move to the Bernebeu and has said that if Fabregas is to leave Arsenal he will only move to the Nou Camp.

So today, one day after the Real Madrid bid is made public, we hear that Barcelona have submitted a second offer to Arsenal of £35m for Fabregas. While that is a sizeable jump from their initial lowball offer of £27m last week, it is still about £9m less than Arsenal’s £44m valuation for Fabregas, and £10m less than Real Madrid’s offer.

I am pretty sure that Arsenal will turn down this second offer from Barcelona, which will leave the Spanish and European champions with a simple choice. Either they match Real Madrid’s offer or miss out on the player they have tapped up for the past three summers.

I have no doubt that Fabregas will leave Arsenal this summer for Spain. But because of the bid from Real Madrid, Arsenal might end up getting an additional £10m for their skipper.

The one winner in an Iberian bidding war is Arsenal.
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Valencia: Interested in Real Madrid Winger Pedro Leon '

 Valencia are interested in Real Madrid winger Pedro Leon, who was provided limited opportunities at the Santiago Bernabeu. According to the Sport, Valencia will move for Leon if their star player Juan Mata leaves the club to Arsenal or Manchester City or any other club interested.

The former Getafe midfielder has been frozen out at Real Madrid and has not got enough opportunities to prove his potential. With the signing of Jose Callejon, his chances will further be reduced and could be a good replacement for Mata, if he does leave the club.

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Jose Antonio Camacho: Jose Mourinho & Real Madrid will have to be patient to displace Barcelona '


The former Spain tactician has stated that the Santiago Bernabeu side need to take time in their attempts to dethrone the Catalan giants
Former Real Madrid coach Jose Antonio Camacho has praised Jose Mourinho, but has stated that the Portuguese must be patient if his side are to overtake Barcelona as Spain's top team.
The Catalan giants have won three consecutive La Liga titles under Pep Guardiola and were crowned champions of Europe in 2011, knocking out Madrid on the way.

The 56-year-old believes it may be a long process to knock the Camp Nou outfit off their perch, and exclusively commented to Goal.com: "Mourinho is a competent coach and very good, but ahead are Barcelona, a very strong team, who are praised worldwide.

"At Madrid, you have to try to remove Barcelona from up there. We'll see if they have enough patience to do it."

Camacho managed the Santiago Bernabeu side back in 2004, and had Galacticos such as David Beckham and Ronaldo at his disposal, but despite this he understands the club's policy of signing more moderately priced players of late.

He continued: "It was a different story. At that time, they signed very important players, but now Madrid has spent a lot less money in the past two seasons.

"It is normal that now [there] is not as much spent as when they signed Kaka, Cristiano [Ronaldo] and [Karim] Benzema," he stated.

When asked about the departure of Jorge Valdano, who left the club after a difficult working relationship with Mourinho, Camacho remained non-committal.

"I'm not into that stuff, it's not my problem. It is the president who must decide if he wants a sporting director and a coach. It is the president who has to choose."

Camacho was sacked as the manager of Osasuna in the 2010-11 season following a three-year tenure, and despite being linked with a move to Valladolid, he claims that no agreement has been reached.

"For now, all I can say is that I have not spoken to anyone and that [my] opinions are free. I am a coach who can coach any team," he concluded.
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Real Madrid move still on for Athletic Bilbao striker Llorente '


Real Madrid remain interested in Athletic Bilbao striker Fernando Llorente.
Llorente is regarded highly by Real coach Jose Mourinho, who is still seeking a centre-forward signing to fit into his ideal playing system.
Bilbao directors have insisted Llorente is not for sale, but that could change next week.
Don Balon says with Bilbao's elections held on July 7, should president Fernando García Macua win a new term, he will give the green light for Llorente to be sold to Real for €30 million.
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Real Madrid wing-back Drenthe welcomes Benfica interest


Real Madrid wing-back Royston Drenthe has welcomed interest from Benfica.
Drenthe is unwanted at Real by coach Jose Mourinho and seeking a move away from Madrid.
Benfica have been linked with the Dutchman, whose agent Sigi Lens told A Bola: "Benfica are a great club and Portugal has a very strong and competitive league.

"This is a scenario that is always attractive to a footballer."
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We know you are always with us '

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Messi: "I don't like promoting myself like Cristiano Ronaldo does"


Lionel Messi granted an interview to "El País" and when asked about Cristiano Ronaldo, he simply said that he doesn't appreciate being the center of attentions. Messi also confessed that he dislikes being compared with CR7, justifying it with the same argument that Ronaldo used a few days ago: "Each one has its own personality"
Messi started the interview by confessing his long term plans and his hopes of ending his career playing in Argentina, if he ever leaves Barcelona: "If I leave Barcelona, then I would probably return to Argentina and retire there." When asked if he would be willing to sign for Real Madrid and play side-by-side with Cristiano Ronaldo, Messi declined the idea: "No, I don't think so. I wouldn't switch for the other side. I'm very happy in Barcelona these days. I'm doing very well and that's where I want to play before returning to Argentina.
"La Pulga" (Messi nickname), also shared his oppinion on who is best football player in History. And he has no doubts in choosing a name from a hall-of-fame list containing many great names such as Ronaldo, Maradona, Pelé, Cruyff or Zidane. Messi: "In my opinion the best was Maradona. I never saw Pelé playing, but I don't think that's necessary.
Messi also refuted the idea of being compared with Cristiano Ronaldo and simply said that they both have their own styles. "Each one has its own personality. I don't like promoting myself and exposing my image like Cristiano Ronaldo does, because that's not the kind of person I am. I'm more reserved than Ronaldo, I like being with my family and close friends, who have always been with me throughout my life. The media and newspapers publish a lot of non-sense things, about women and other stuff, but it's all lies."
You can remember some Cristiano Ronaldo moments in a short video below:


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Pelé: "Cristiano Ronaldo and Messi are the best in the World for now"


Pelé joined the debate and spoke about Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi, but also left a warning note regarding Neymar's potential. The "King" said that Cristiano Ronaldo and Messi are the best in the World right now, but the Argentinian is still one level above the rest.

It seems like it's turning out to be the eternal question of the modern football era. In a topic almost impossible to find a consensus, Pelé shared his thoughts on the matter and said that Lionel Messi is the best player in the World right now, overcoming Cristiano Ronaldo and Brazil's rising star Neymar.
Pelé: "Messi better than Pelé? Messi is the best in the World for now, but he still needs to score at least 1283 goals more, in order to be seen as the best football player ever. There's also Cristiano Ronaldo, who has a lot of strenght and scores plenty of goals every season. He still has a lot of potential.

Pelé believes that the World Best Player "fight" is exclusive to Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi, but only because Neymar is still very young. "Please don't tell me that Neymar has to be the best in the World at the age of 19, because that's just too much responsability for such a young kid. He has time to develop and become the best player in the World in future. I'm pretty sure he'll get there someday, but for now, the best players in the World are Cristiano Ronaldo and Messi. I also hope that Neymar can give his full contribute to the Brazil National Team and doesn't do the same that Messi does with his weak performances for Argentina." Pelé also said that Neymar best choice for the short-term should be accepting the challenge to play in Real Madrid, under the command of José Mourinho. "I advised Neymar to transfer to Real Madrid, but Santos President doesn't want to sell him until the 2014 World Cup."

However, Maradona doesn't seem to agree with the Brazilian legend and spoke recently to the Spanish television "TVE", reffering to Neymar as a rude boy who shows no respect for anyone. "Neymar is not polite at all, a bit like Pelé. Messi in the other hand, is an exceptional player and I doubt Cristiano Ronaldo, Neymar or anyone else in the World can be better than him."
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Neymar: "I admire both Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi"


 Brazil's most promising star, Neymar, said recently that he admires Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi and he hopes that he can reach their level in the future. However, in Neymar's opinion, Messi is the World's best player and is better than Ronaldo at the moment.

Brazilian wonderboy, Neymar, who just helped his team Santos winning the "Libertadores" last night, affirmed that he respects a lot both Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi. The Portuguese and the Argentinian are the World's maximum references these days, when it comes to make an assessment for any new player's potential.
Neymar: "I like both Ronaldo and Messi. But in my opinion, Lionel Messi is the best player in the World right now and I have no doubts on that. But in the other hand, Cristiano Ronaldo is also great, big and a very complete player." said the Brazilian prodigy to Spanish newspaper "As".

Neymar has been strongly linked with a transfer to Real Madrid in the last days and weeks. The possibility of Cristiano Ronaldo playing side by side with Neymar is very likely to happen, but for now, Neymar assumes he has no rush in making the move to Europe, despite several news about clubs being interested in signing him. Neymar: "I'm happy in Santos here in my country and I think I'm playing good football. It's probably not the right moment to move to Europe yet."
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Raphael Varane: promising future and brilliant present


The defender's height, versatility, elegance and maturity wowed European football last season, his first in the elite

Raphael Varane (25-04-1993, Lille) is a defender with a promising future and an already brilliant present. Despite having just turned 18 years old, the player earned the admiration of all European football in his first year in the elite. His impressive height (191 cm) allows him to dominate the aerial game; his versatility makes him a solid defender or central midfielder; his elegance made him see only two bookings in the entire season; and his speed, sense of anticipation, dribbling skills and maturity turned him into one of the most important players at Lens, getting to wear the captain's armband in the match before last against Arles-Avignon.
Varane was formed at the academy of Lens, one of the most prolific in France in recent years. Hailing by family from Martinique (his father was born in Le Morne-Rouge), the new Real Madrid defender played 23 league games last season, 22 of them as a starter. Despite his positioning as a defender, he scored two goals away from home against Caen and Monaco (both matches ended in 1-1 draws).

Varane made his debut with a 2-0 victory over Montpellier on 6 November 2010. Three weeks later (on Week 15), he earned a starting position under coach Jean-Guy Wallemme and kept it when Laszlo Boloni replaced him. Former player and current Lens academy coach Eric Assadourian once described the defender as "a first rate player who feels comfortable on the pitch, both tactically and technically. I'm sure he will be successful." New teammate Sergio Ramos could be his new role model at Real Madrid, given that the Seville defender signed for the club after his first season in the First Division and is now a true leader on the squad and a fan favourite.

Raphael Varane made his international debut with France's Under-18s against Denmark, scoring the last goal in a 24 August friendly (2-0). After a second match with the team he was promoted to the Under-21 side, with which he has already played three fixtures, the second of which was against Spain, who then featured the Madridistas Sergio Canales, Nacho Fernandez and Juan Carlos. France won the match 3-2 at Reims' Auguste-Delaune Stadium.
 
RAPHAEL VARANE STATS
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Di Maria, Garay, Gago and Higuain to play Copa America with Argentina


The four Madridistas made their national coach's cut; the championship will begin on 1 July

Real Madrid's Angel di Maria, Ezequiel Garay, Fernando Gago and Gonzalo Higuain will play the Copa America with Argentina. The championship is set to start on 1 July.
Coach Batista will rely on the four Madridistas to try to end with the Brazilian dominance of the last two editions of the championship. This Copa America will take place in Argentina, making it even more special for every player on the team. The Argentines will try to win their 15th title and break the tie at the top of the ranking with Uruguay.

Di Maria, Garay and Higuain will make their first appearances in the competition; Gago played in the previous edition.

Real Madrid have the largest number of players on the Argentinean national squad, followed by AC Milan (3), Barcelona (3), Manchester City (2) and Spartak Moscow (2).
ARGENTINA SQUAD LIST 1-Juan Pablo Carrizo (River Plate-Argentina)
 2-Ezequiel Garay (Real Madrid-Spain) 3-Pablo Zabaleta (Manchester City-England)
 4-Nicolas Burdisso (Roma-Italy)
 5-Esteban Cambiasso (Internazionale-Italy)
 6-Gabriel Milito (Barcelona-Spain)
 7-Angel di Maria (Real Madrid-Spain) 8-Javier Zanetti (Internazionale-Italy)
 9-Gonzalo Higuaín (Real Madrid-España)10-Lionel Messi (Barcelona-Spain)
11-Carlos Tevez (Manchester City-England)
12-Mariano Andujar (Catania-Italy)
13-Nicolas Pareja (Spartak Moscow-Russia)
14-Javier Mascherano (Barcelona-Spain)
15- Lucas Biglia (Anderlecht-Belgium)
16- Sergio Aguero (Atletico Madrid-Spain)
17- Marcos Rojo (Spartak Moscow-Russia)
18- Javier Pastore (Palermo-Italy)
19- Ever Banega (Valencia-Spain)
20- Fernando Gago (Real Madrid-Spain)21- Ezequiel Lavezzi (Napoli-Italy)
22- Diego Milito (Internazionale-Italy)
23-Sergio Romero (AZ Alkmaar-Netherlands)
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Benzema: "Mourinho's confidence in me changed everything"


"Our victory in the Copa del Rey made me very happy because it was my first title with Real Madrid"

Karim Benzema sat down with AS and talked about his feelings about last season and his hopes for the coming campaign.
"I always have football on my mind. Sport is my life and the ball is always by my side. I take care of myself. I want to be in great form when I return. I work-out every day. I swim because it's good for my back. I also ride a bicycle."

"The squad is fantastic. We all get along really well and help each other out. We have a very good coach. I am very optimistic about next season. We will be very competitive. Now that I've won my first title I want more. I don't want to stop being successful at Real Madrid."

"Zidane and I have become friends. We talk on the phone and see each other a lot. He helps me and gives me advice. He does a great job with all of us."

"I was very happy with our victory in the Copa del Rey because it was my first title with Real Madrid. I participated a lot in that tournament, like with my goal against Sevilla in the semfinals. I also felt great satisfaction when I scored against Olympique Lyonnais in the Champions League. I believe we will have great moments this season. We will try to win everything and I will personally do as much as I can to be worthy of this club and this shirt."
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Altintop medical update

Real Madrid C. F. player Hamit Altintop underwent surgery today on the L3-L4 disc prolapse he suffered from on his back at Großhadern University Hospital, Munich.

Dr. J. Thonn, Chief of Neurosurgery at the hopsital, successfully performed an endoscopic microdiscectomy on the player. Altintop will remain in hospital until Saturday morning.
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Raphael Varane passes medical


The French player was examined at Sanitas-La Moraleja Hospital

Raphael Varane arrived at Sanitas-La Moraleja Hospital around 15:00. Real Madrid's Medical Services subjected the player to urine and blood tests; electrocardiography; a magnetic resonance; a radiological and biomechanical study; an exploration of the musculoskeletal system; and a cardiorespiratory exploration.
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Raphael Varane signs contract

Raphael Varane officially became Real Madrid's latest signing by signing his contract after passing his medical this afternoon. He was accompnaied by President Florentino Perez and other Members of the Board. Among the gifts Varane was presented with was the stylographic pen he signed his contract with. The player also took time to admire the club's nine football European Cup titles, and its eight basketball European Cup trophies, as well as the Best Club of the 20th Century award.
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