Striking credentials: £4m-rated Ruud Van Nistelrooy
guarantees goals, but who will pay him £75,000 a week?
The leading English clubs were put on alert as Real
Madrid placed eight of their squad on an unofficial transfer list
for January. There are no surprises in a group headed by striker
Ruud van Nistelrooy, but their price tags have shock value. It is
the season for giving but, after spending £265million in the
summer, Real have decided they can’t afford to be
charitable.
Liverpool, so dependent on
Fernando Torres, would be at the front of the queue
for Van Nistelrooy but a £4million fee and £75,000-a-week wages are
too much for a
33-year-old — even if he guarantees goals as he chases a Holland
World Cup place.
Liverpool would jump at a free transfer, as would
Tottenham or Roma, but Real
are insisting on hard cash for a player they believe can contribute
10 goals and help any side win a trophy.
Despite still figuring in first-team squads, Guti and Rafael van
der Vaart are also on the list. Talented but brattish, Guti has a
ridiculous contract at Real. Hhe could be pushed out for a £4m
sweetener but stylish midfielder Van der Vaart would cost £8m.
Others at the Real exit door include Argentina midfielder
Fernando Gago, the 23-year-old who has been linked with
Everton. He had been assured
of his future and guaranteed more games by coach Manuel Pellegrini
but his outspoken desire to play has pushed the board the other
way.
Stylish: £8m Van der Vaart has Premier League
quality
Outspoken: £7.5m Gago's mouth has got him into
trouble
Everton will struggle to find the £7.5m required to buy
him — while any loan approaches are being frowned
upon.
Gago’s compatriot Ezequiel Garay, an accomplished centre half,
is also up for sale. He once caught the eye of Manchester United and, although Sir Alex
Ferguson’s mind is concentrating elsewhere, Old Trafford’s
defensive injury crisis may bring the 23-year-old back into sharp
focus, especially at around £6m.
Composed: £6m Garay has his admirers at Old
Trafford
Brattish: £4m Guti's tantrums make him a high-risk
buy
Wide boy: £6m Drenthe offers trickery on the left
wing
Injury-prone: but Juventus still like the look of
£10m-rated Diarra
More eye-watering could be the £10m Real want
for bulldozing midfielder Mahamadou Diarra, a target for Juventus
despite little more than an hour’s game time since a serious knee
injury, and £6m-rated winger Royston Drenthe, a relative success at
Real.
Both would find plenty of suitors in England but only
Chelsea, Manchester City, Manchester United,
Aston Villa and Sunderland have the cash to splash this
window.
Real want at least £30m to hit their financial targets but that
may leave many of their ‘bargains’ on the shelf.
Former Liverpool keeper Jerzy Dudek is maybe a more realistic
target for Premier League clubs feeling the pinch. Now 36, he is at
least available on a free.
