Real Madrid defender Fabio Coentrao is generating interest from around Europe during the final stages of the summer transfer window. French giants Paris Saint-Germain are reportedly the latest club to join the pursuit.

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PSG Among 3 Clubs Showing Interest in Coentrao

Saturday, Aug. 22

AS, citing French media reports, stated that the Parisians have increased their efforts to secure the 27-year-old left-back after being unable to land Layvin Kurzawa from Monaco. They are joined in the chase by Benfica, where the defender played before heading to Madrid, and Inter Milan.

Coentrao has watched his role with Los Blancos steadily decrease over the past few seasons. Marcelo established himself as the starter on the left side of defense and appeared in 53 matches across all competitions last term as a result.

In turn, it would make sense for the Portuguese international to seek a club where he would receive more consistent opportunities to play first-team football. It’s not going to happen with Real barring an injury to Marcelo.

PSG have been seeking more stability at left-back throughout the summer. Kurzawa, a 22-year-old rising star, was seemingly their chief target. With time running out before the window closes, however, it appears they are starting to explore other options.

Coentrao would be a nice fit, though it’s going to take some time to rediscover top form if he does move to another club where he’ll start regularly. Once settled, he should be the reliable option Paris Saint-Germain have been seeking.

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Real Madrid defender Fabio Coentrao is generating interest from around Europe during the final stages of the summer transfer window. French giants Paris Saint-Germain are reportedly the latest club to join the pursuit.

Continue for updates.

PSG Among 3 Clubs Showing Interest in Coentrao

Saturday, Aug. 22

AS, citing French media reports, stated that the Parisians have increased their efforts to secure the 27-year-old left-back after being unable to land Layvin Kurzawa from Monaco. They are joined in the chase by Benfica, where the defender played before heading to Madrid, and Inter Milan.

Coentrao has watched his role with Los Blancos steadily decrease over the past few seasons. Marcelo established himself as the starter on the left side of defense and appeared in 53 matches across all competitions last term as a result.

In turn, it would make sense for the Portuguese international to seek a club where he would receive more consistent opportunities to play first-team football. It’s not going to happen with Real barring an injury to Marcelo.

PSG have been seeking more stability at left-back throughout the summer. Kurzawa, a 22-year-old rising star, was seemingly their chief target. With time running out before the window closes, however, it appears they are starting to explore other options.

Coentrao would be a nice fit, though it’s going to take some time to rediscover top form if he does move to another club where he’ll start regularly. Once settled, he should be the reliable option Paris Saint-Germain have been seeking.

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Mateo Kovacic hasn’t made the ideal start to life as a Real Madrid player.

The midfielder, signed from Inter Milan this week for a deal worth around €35 million, introduced himself at his official unveiling with the words “Bon dia a tots,” which is Catalan for “Good day, everyone.”

Speaking with the dialect of archrivals Barcelona is probably up there with the worst possible ways of endearing yourself to the Real Madrid faithful, especially as Kovacic had previously been linked with a move to Barca, per Joe Short of the Express.

Kovacic will now be doubly keen to impress on the pitch and put this unfortunate episode behind him. 

[h/t Sport]

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The 2015-16 La Liga season is finally upon us, and Week 1’s fixtures have thrown up some exciting matchups to kick off the new campaign.

In a repeat of the Spanish Super Cup, Barcelona face Athletic Bilbao, where they will be looking to make amends after losing to the Basque club 5-1 on aggregate.

Real Madrid begin their campaign away at newly promoted Sporting Gijon, while rivals Atletico welcome Las Palmas to the Vicente Calderon.

Another exciting clash sees Europa League winners Sevilla take on Malaga.

Here is the full schedule for Week 1, complete with live streaming information and predictions for each game:

Key Players

Mateo Kovacic, Real Madrid

Mateo Kovacic was confirmed as a Real player on Tuesday, per BBC Sport, and he could be in line to make his debut for Los Blancos.

The 21-year-old was an outstanding player for Inter Milan in an otherwise fairly disappointing few years for the club, and his arrival has whetted the appetites of fans and pundits alike, including ESPN’s Musa Okwonga and WhoScored’s Cristiano Acconci:

Real manager Rafael Benitez was full of praise for his new signing upon his arrival. Per their official website, he said: “He is a player with a lot of quality. The team suffered last year when [Luka] Modric got injured. He is not a defence minded midfielder nor someone who wins the ball back, he has quality and tends to play higher up. He is dynamic, good at passing, and is not scared of responsibility.”

Despite his age, the Croatian is already on the way to becoming the complete package as a creative midfielder thanks to his excellent dribbling skills and array of passing.

Los Blancos should have few problems against Sporting Gijon, but look for Kovacic to impress on his debut in a dominant win for his new side.

Thomas Vermaelen, Barcelona

Thanks to Barcelona’s incredible array of attacking talent, it’s somewhat rare that one of their defenders is set to play a key role outside of El Clasico, as they can almost always rely on outscoring the opposition.

However, the Blaugrana were humiliated 4-0 by Athletic in the away leg of the Spanish Super Cup, and to make matters worse, crucial centre-back Gerard Pique was shown a straight red card in the second leg for verbally abusing a linesman.

Barca will now travel to Bilbao again without the Spaniard, and though Thomas Vermaelen was not directly culpable for any of Athletic’s goals, he will need to put in a strong performance to ensure they avoid conceding an early lead in the title race to Madrid.

The Belgian only made his debut in May after struggling all of last season with injury. But, with a full pre-season under his belt, the 29-year-old should now be ready to make the step up if he can put the disappointment of the Super Cup behind him.

Per Sky Sports, Vermaelen expressed his desire to prove himself at the Camp Nou, saying: “I got a medal, but you don’t feel like you have won the treble. I was very happy for the team, but it’s not like I contributed a lot for the cups we won.”

The centre-back was an important player for Arsenal during his time there, and his performance on Sunday will be crucial to Barca‘s hopes of coming through unscathed.

If the Belgian can silence the in-form Aritz Aduriz, the Blaugrana should come away with a victory.

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Reports in Portugal suggest Nicolas Gaitan is back on top Premier League clubs’ radars after the forward rejected a big-money move to Dubai-based Al-Ahli.

A Bola (h/t Uche Amako of the Express) said the Benfica attacker was subject to a huge bid from the Middle East club, with his buyout clause set at £24.6 million.

However, despite Gaitan being “tempted” by the switch to the UAE Pro-League side, Amako says the player has pinned his hopes on a move to one of the superclubs of European football, with Manchester United also a possible destination. 

TalkSport say Liverpool could move for the experienced attacker before the end of the current transfer window but highlight Atletico Madrid and Valencia are both monitoring the player’s situation. 

The former Boca Juniors favourite has been linked with transfers every season since his move to the Lisbon giants in 2010. Gaitan has been a consistent domestic performer for the Eagles but has struggled to match his best form in European competition. 

Gaitan has only three goals and one assist from 28 Champions League and Europa League appearances since 2012-13, per WhoScored.com, proving he struggles against better opposition. 

But with Liverpool looking to add balance to their midfield, Gaitan would give Brendan Rodgers a different kind of threat in the final third of the pitch. 

Sky Sports pundit Charlie Nicholas believes Rodgers must address this issue in the coming days as well as adding defensive cover:

Liverpool have enough up front but in terms of midfield they could do with another one. Brendan has got a few choices but I don’t see too many goals coming from midfield. I know Inter Milan are interested in Lucas Leiva but he’s a player I’d be looking to keep.

The defence still looks very vulnerable for me, too. They don’t have cover for right-back Nathaniel Clyne if he gets injured and they definitely need another centre-back.

However, new signing James Milner believes the Reds midfield is perfectly balanced after a summer of transfer activity and told Sky Sports (h/t the club’s official website) he is confident about the campaign ahead:

It depends how the manager wants to play—two or three, or one of us sitting or moving out. There’s plenty of energy in there. Emre came on as well, Adam played in there and Philippe [Coutinho] played in there [at Stoke City]. There’s a lot of options for us and a lot of different styles of players, and a lot of energy. That’s how we want to play, we want to move the ball but we want to put teams under pressure as well when they have it.

Gaitan is an experienced option for Rodgers, but at £24.6 million, he appears to be a pricey addition. Gaitan has been an Argentina international since 2009 but has rarely dazzled on the biggest stages. 

With the progression of Jordon Ibe, Gaitan would be a strange purchase at this time, with Rodgers better off relying on the creative exploits of Philippe Coutinho and new boy Roberto Firmino. 

Reds Eye Brilliant Spanish Prodigy

If Rodgers opts to add potential to his ranks—rather than an ageing campaigner like Gaitan—he might look towards Spain for one of their rising stars. 

Spanish newspaper Diario de Sevilla (h/t Simon Jones of MailOnline) reports Rodgers is “monitoring developments” surrounding 19-year-old Real Betis midfielder Dani Ceballos. 

The exciting talent is being asked to sign his long-term future to Los Verdiblancos, but with just a year left on his current deal and an £8 million buyout in situ, Liverpool are ready to pounce, per Jones. 

However, the player could sign terms with Liverpool in January and leave for “minimal compensation,” with Real Madrid and Roma also interested in the teenager. 

Diario de Sevilla say Liverpool have even gone as far as presenting a wage package to Ceballos—a £1.1 million basic salary, including additional bonuses and a car and property. 

Jones said the player has previously been compared to Cesc Fabregas and scored five goals in 33 games for Betis last term. 

Ceballos is very much the kind of talent Rodgers should be chasing rather than the ineffective Gaitan. The Argentinian’s stock has fallen dramatically over the past couple of seasons and would be an expensive waste if he ends up on Rodgers’ bench. 

Liverpool have already been down this road with Mario Balotelli, so a youthful addition to the squad makes sense. 

Ceballos could become one of his country’s best central midfielders after shining for Spain’s under-19 side, and at £8 million, he would have significant sell-on value with very little financial risk.

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Liverpool are set to face significant competition from Arsenal, Tottenham Hotspur and Juventus in the race to sign Real Madrid midfielder Asier Illarramendi.  

According to Joe Short of the Daily Express, Spanish outlet Deportivo Mundo are reporting Liverpool and Arsenal are set to bid for the Spaniard, who could be acquired for £16 million.

Further, AS relay La Gazzetta dello Sport‘s report that Juve have made an enquiry regarding a transfer, and the Evening Standard‘s Tom Collomosse notes Spurs “are also believed to be monitoring the situation.”

On Tuesday, Bleacher Report columnist and Spanish football expert Guillem Balague noted the clubs are yet to make a move on the midfielder:

The 25-year-old is unlikely to feature much at the Bernabeu this season due to the wealth of options available to manager Rafael Benitez in the midfield, with Mateo Kovacic’s arrival from Inter Milan representing another sizeable obstacle in the Spaniard’s way.

According to Squawka, Illarramendi has shown his quality as a defensive midfielder in previous seasons, particularly when given more significant playing time and the opportunity to win more duels.

However, football journalist Rafael Hernandez believes the fee Real want for the player is too high:

The Reds are yet to adequately replace Steven Gerrard, but likewise, the addition of James Milner means they aren’t desperate for another central midfielder this summer.

At Arsenal, the Spaniard would provide valuable competition for Francis Coquelin as the Gunners’ holding midfielder, but for a club with title ambitions, there are stronger options—the same applying to Juventus.

Spurs would perhaps benefit the most from Illarramendi’s arrival, as he would likely offer an upgrade on current options Ryan Mason and Nabil Bentaleb.

However, Hernandez is right; the fee noted by Short is certainly on the steep side.

As the transfer window draws to a close, though, he may be available for less as Los Blancos seek to get him off of their books. Don’t rule out a move for the Spaniard.

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Real Madrid star Luka Modric reportedly played a key role in convincing the club to land compatriot Mateo Kovacic with a sensational claim the youngster would soon win the Ballon d’Or.

According to Manu Sainz of AS, Modric told club president Florentino Perez “he’ll be the Ballon d’Or winner in two years” following a friendly against Kovacic’s Inter Milan earlier in the summer.

The club confirmed his arrival on Tuesday via their official Twitter feed:

Modric is not the only one who believes Kovacic has a bright future ahead of him, with ESPN’s Musa Okwonga and WhoScored.com’s Cristiano Acconci eagerly anticipating the midfielder joining up with his new team-mates:

The Croatian’s high opinion of his countryman is understandable, as sports journalist Jonas Giaever illustrates the pair’s history together:

Modric’s claim is not just based on their friendship, however, as Kovacic has been an outstanding player for Inter in recent years.

The midfielder assisted eight goals last season and scored a career-high five goals.

According to Squawka, the 21-year-old created 62 chances for his team-mates last term, as well as winning 45 tackles and completing 90 take-ons.

Kovacic possesses an exceptional array of passing, which, along with his ability to drive forward from midfield with the ball, will undoubtedly see him increase his goal and assist tallies each season.

A Ballon d’Or in the next two years is an incredible ask of the youngster given Lionel Messi‘s and Cristiano Ronaldo’s continued exploits, but Kovacic certainly has the potential to win one in the future.

In the meantime, expect him to sparkle with Los Blancos and enjoy a successful campaign ahead.

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Mateo Kovacic fits the profile.

He’s talented, he’s multi-skilled and he’s expensive. He’s a player who’s already an international, an emerging star who is considered among the brightest prospects in the sport. His trajectory through the club ranks is going the right way, from Dinamo Zagreb to Inter Milan to Real Madrid. His progression through his nation’s ranks is just the same. 

But above all else, Kovacic is young. Twenty-one years young. To sign for Real Madrid right now, that’s the sort of age you need to be. 

Consider this bunch: Gareth Bale, Isco, Asier Illarramendi, Daniel Carvajal, Casemiro, James Rodriguez, Toni Kroos, Lucas Silva, Martin Odegaard, Danilo, Marco Asensio, Jesus Vallejo and Lucas Vazquez. Those names represent 13 of the 15 players Real Madrid have signed permanently over the last two years. Their common trait? Age. 

When those men put pen to paper at the Bernabeu, respectively, they were: 24, 21, 23, 21, 21, 23, 24, 21, 16, 23, 18, 18 and 24. Kovacic, at 21, adds to the bunch to make it 14 out of 16 after signing on Tuesday, Real Madrid’s only ventures outside the 16-24 age bracket coming for the purchases of goalkeepers Keylor Navas and Kiko Casilla. And that pair might soon be supplanted by the 24-year-old David De Gea, who would make it 15 in 17.

To this haul, we can add Jese, Nacho and Denis Cheryshev, a trio who were elevated from the Castilla squad in 2013 and who currently reside at the Bernabeu. When promoted, they were 20, 23 and 22, respectively. Completing the picture is Raphael Varane, who’s still just 22 as we speak. 

Kovacic, therefore, represents the continuation of a plan for Real Madrid.

Though he’s far from the finished article, the Croatian is a precocious talent ready to be moulded to a manager’s liking. A player of positional versatility, quick feet, long shots, deft touches, surging runs and incisive passing, Kovacic has a skill set that could propel him to stardom—a skill set that may only need a launchpad. 

Real Madrid, it seems, see themselves as that. The launchpad. 

Thus, what we have in Chamartin is now of great contrast to the maligned Zidanes y Pavones of over a decade ago. That group, defined by Zinedine Zidane, Luis Figo, Ronaldo and David Beckham, was a collection of established footballing rockstars surrounded by academy products, built by president Florentino Perez in the misguided belief that star power would conquer all else. It didn’t. 

Now, however, Perez and Co. are assembling something different. In the Spanish capital, unlike elsewhere, there are no Bastian Schweinsteigers signing on the dotted line. No Arda Turans. No Arturo Vidals. No Radamel Falcaos. No Jackson Martinezs. No Angel Di Marias. Instead, Madrid are putting together a cluster of emerging faces, a group that the club will hope can grow together, evolve together. Eventually dominate together. The squad is so young that Marca has dubbed them “Benitez’s boys.”

Essentially, what Real Madrid are doing is picking the juiciest young fruits in the forest and throwing them into a blender, hoping they’ll combine to make the most delicious smoothie of all—one that tastes magnificent for hours rather than minutes. 

But will it work?

On the face of it, this is a positive step forward for Perez’s Real Madrid. Too often under the construction magnate, the man whom AS accused of treating the club as one of his “playthings,” there hasn’t been an identifiable plan, an obvious project. Stars have come and gone, plenty of them needlessly. Managers have faced the guillotine like it’s the French Revolution. Titles have been squandered. 

That Real Madrid have won one league crown in the last nine years of Perez’s two-part presidency says it all. A Real Madrid that remains the world’s glamour club. A Real Madrid that outdoes them all for resources, for allure. A Real Madrid that was voted the world’s greatest club of the 20th century. 

One in nine is a catastrophic return for Perez. 

Now, though, at least one can see what’s being built, a sense of long-term thinking clearly evident. Instead of pursuing immediate fixes, stars there for a good time but not a long time, Perez, for perhaps the first time at the Bernabeu, is constructing something that in theory is built to last—ironic when you consider the industry in which he’s made his money. 

However, this is a project that’s far from flawless. And Perez’s own tendencies have the potential to upset it. 

Kovacic, like others before him, doesn’t fill an obvious need. Though extremely versatile, capable of playing in both advanced and withdrawn positions, the Croatian is, at the heart of it, a creative and attacking talent. Just like Rodriguez. Like Kroos. Like Isco.  

Like countryman Luka Modric, who isn’t going anywhere fast. 

Thus, despite Perez’s plan to build a white army of future stars who’ll learn to fight together, the reality is that their growth won’t be simultaneous or parallel. You can’t fast-track the development of Rodriguez and Kroos and Isco and Kovacic and all the others. It doesn’t work that way. 

For a good example, you only need to look at the base of the midfield. In 2013, Real signed Illarramendi and Casemiro, later loaning out the Brazilian. Then last winter, Silva arrived to play the same role, before Casemiro was recalled. 

Now you’ve got a situation in which there are three midfield anchors all vying for the same position. All three are of a similar age and experience. All three are talented but works in progress—they could become very good but aren’t there yet. But Casemiro‘s return pushes the club past the quota for non-EU players, meaning Silva will likely go out on the loan. And Kovacic‘s arrival essentially spells the end for Illarramendi.

Consequently, in using the current model, it’s possible that plans get made for a future that never arrives. The new face, the latest sensation to develop, becomes the priority, halting the progress of the men who’ve come before him but who still aren’t the finished product themselves. 

In such circumstances, the result would be a succession of young prodigies whose ultimate level is never reached, the patience missing to see the process through to the end for each player. It’s like building a car to the point of putting the wheels on, but then stopping to start a new car from fresh. Over and over again. 

Naturally, there will be exceptions. But there will be numerous casualties, too. 

So here’s the crucial part: This plan can work, but it won’t if the arrivals lounge is constantly filling. At some point, the spending on the latest “it” talents has to cease, patience shown toward the crop who are already part of the process. 

Inevitably, then, it all comes back to Perez.

The problem? He’s rarely shown an ounce of that crucial quality, patience. 

Only during the tenure of Jose Mourinho has the current president ceded ultimate control to a manager, doing so on that occasion because he had no choice: he needed an all-powerful leader to wage war on a rampant Barcelona. 

When you examine the squad’s evolution during those years, illustrated neatly by Transfermarkt, you instantly see stability and continuity, the comings and goings limited to only what was necessary. The result was a record-breaking league title in 2011-12, Perez’s only one in his last nine years at the helm. 

In almost every other period, though, Perez has hastily ripped everything up and started again. Whether it be the sackings of popular coaches Vicente del Bosque or Carlo Ancelotti, or the dismantling of a European title-winning squad in 2014, the current president’s aversion to footballing principles is startling. 

“Each year, we do the impossible in order to win, but they always take it from us by two points or something like that,” he said in 2013. “I do not know why.”

Strange, because everyone else does. 

What exits at the Bernabeu, therefore, is a solid and potentially fruitful plan built on youth, but one whose success hinges upon the president’s willingness to change. 

To work, emerging stars need to be given time to become actual stars. They need to be shown patience and loyalty, given consistent messages from those above. On the pitch, systems, formations, positions and playing philosophies need a sense of familiarity, coherence. Clarity. If the plan is to build a group together, then the wider environment at the Bernabeu needs to be thought about in the same way. 

Can Perez, then, resist the urge to pull the trigger on manager after manager, a process that always results in upheaval on every level? Can he fight the temptation to sign the next Rodriguez, the next Isco and the next Kovecic, while those players—Rodriguez, Isco and Kovecic—are all still there?

In short, can he stop viewing Real Madrid as his “plaything” and realise there are ingredients to success that can’t be bought?

Certainly, there are other elements to Perez’s stockpiling of young talent; this process also denies such players from rivals, and gives the club the option of eventually selling on at a profit with a “made at Real Madrid” sticker attached. 

But at the core of everything at Real Madrid is the demand for success. Relentless, unyielding success. The current plan of hoovering up the world’s emerging talent could potentially deliver that, but only if the club and its president do what’s unnatural to them: sit tight, be patient, and actually see the plan through.

Follow @TimDCollins

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