The Frenchmen wants three marquee signings including two Premier League players.
Zinedine Zidane is back. What seemed an impossibility not so long ago has come to fruition after the work President Florentino Perez put in to convince the French legend to return. The main condition on which Zidane’s return hinged upon was power. The iconic boss will have full power over the management of the first team – that is to say that he will have control over both arrivals and sales of personnel. With Eder Militao joining Madrid in summer, it seems Zidane is already resurrecting the ageing Real Madrid squad. Zidane has already been given €500m budget and targeted Premier League stars.
Real Madrid boss Zinedine Zidane will reportedly be backed with a €500m summer budget, and wants two Premier League stars. Zidane’s return to the Santiago Bernabeu was confirmed earlier in the month as he takes the reigns back from the struggling Santiago Solari, who himself took over from Julen Lopetegui. It is believed that the Frenchman is keen on overhauling the current Real Madrid squad, who have seemingly not recovered from the departure of Cristiano Ronaldo. As a result, L’Equipe‘s front page (titled Casino Royal) Florentino Perez is ready to show faith in Zidane to turn the ship around by giving him a €500m summer budget to help him make three blockbuster signings. Mbappe has long been on Real Madrid’s radar as a future Galactico since he burst onto the scene as a teenager with Monaco. The 20-year-old is a key figure in Thomas Tuchel’s PSG team and given he joined the Parisians for close to £168m, it would take a giant offer from Real to secure him in the summer.
As for Manchester United ace Pogba, Zidane is believed to be keen on his French compatriot for his ‘muscle and physicality’ in central midfield. Long-serving Real midfielder Toni Kroos looks set to leave the Bernabeu this summer – potentially for Old Trafford – and Zidane is well aware of the need to bolster his ranks in the centre of the park. Pogba has flirted with a move away from United in recent months but the Premier League side will be reluctant to lose a player they view as a potential future captain. The £89m man would not be allowed to leave without a significant mark-up on what United paid for him.
The final player in Real’s ‘ambitious project’ is Chelsea ace Hazard – only his move is complicated by the Blues facing a transfer ban for the next two windows. The Belgian attacker’s deal at Stamford Bridge expires in 2020 and he could depart on a free transfer if the club opt against cashing in this summer.
Author’s Take:
The Spanish side are still reeling from last summer’s departure of Cristiano Ronaldo to Juventus and with Gareth Bale failing to fill the void, Zidane needs to add to his artillery in a bid to reclaim titles both domestically and in Europe.
