Real Madrid seal £30m Benzema signing
During yesterday’s unveiling of Kaka, Real Madrid sporting director, Jorge Valdano, was questioned about the possibility of the Madrid club splurging for another big name this summer, after being linked with Franck Ribery and Karim Benzema, amongst others.
“We do not discard the possibility that in the next few hours, something could happen,” Valdano stated to a packed press room. It looks like he wasn’t kidding.
Just a few weeks removed from the announcement of Madrid’s swoop for Kaka and Cristiano Ronaldo, the La Liga club is once again back in the headlines, splashing the cash and signing up another massive name for next season. That massive name is, of course, Lyon striker Karim Benzema.
Benzema, who wasn’t keen on a summer move until recently, gave his seal of approval to the transfer this afternoon in a move that’s rumoured to be worth £30m (the fee could rise to £35.2m). Lyon were adamant that the striker would only be leaving this summer if a “crazy offer” came their way. It only took Real Madrid a couple of days to come up with the funds for such an offer.
“We needed to make a quick decision and we decided to let Karim go where he wanted,” Lyon coach Claude Puel told reporters.
“It’s an important decision for him with a year to go before the World Cup,” Puel added. “We are losing a high quality player and we know how much Lyon owe him but he needed a new challenge and he is, I believe, strong enough to face it.”
The addition of another offensive threat means Real Madrid are officially the new Galáctico’s. There is still the rumour floating around that Madrid will take Ribery off the market in the coming weeks to end what would be considered the most unbelievable summer haul is football history. You could almost debate it’s the greatest in sports history even without the addition of Ribery.
The move also has implications for other clubs, most notably Manchester United, who were still chasing the striker for his signature this week. Benzema’s move now means Sir Alex Ferguson will have to look elsewhere for a young star to fill the void left by Ronaldo and Tevez.
Topics: Football Transfers, La Liga, Real Madrid
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oooooooooooooooooooooooooo…
July 1st, 2009 @ 19:37Now that’s signing!!!
Who’s next?
Maybe Ribery?Maybe Xabi Alonso?
Noone will be able to compete with Real Madrid anymore!!!
no one compete wit Real??? hmm… doubt it m8, Real buyin these players still guarantees them nothin but marketin success. Where r the defenders??? pepe? metselder? ramos is decent but there not all that. n how long will their new manager get 2work wit these players n build a team??? doubt it will b more than a season. the galacticos mite b a team crammed wit superstars but that guarantees nothing just like the last era, they werent prolific. barca will dominate with the right mix of passing and creative briliance n a decent defence.cant wait c see all these ‘galacticos’ crumble!!!
July 1st, 2009 @ 21:23I am loving all of this and all of the money that is being invested because the world will see yet again that Galacticos is a failed and flawed policy that in the long run will not work for Real Madrid. And moreover I am anticipating and waiting for Barça to take on this stacked Real Madrid and humiliate Florentino Perez so that he will regret he ever came back with Galacticos part II. Objectively and on paper, Kaka + Ronaldo + Benzema is a lethal triumverate (not to mention the fact that there is still a very talented Raul)… but Barcelona showed us last season that it is a team philosophy of attacking football and not individual brilliance that wins in the long run (although Messi did singlehandedly bring the house down in Madrid a la 6-2). But let’s have it!
July 1st, 2009 @ 21:30Messrs Blatter and Platini are curiously quiet. Or is it only English clubs that ruin the game with big spending?
July 1st, 2009 @ 23:01I agree – also, ronaldo deserves to be unhappy – that’s exactly what will happen – they will fail – Ronaldo is already nervous (claiming he’ll need a lot of time in order to switch over from EPL style to La Liga) – his style is an aggressive La Liga – He was too spoiled at MANU
I cant wait for Real to see he’s no longer worth the money. 32 goals one season 16 the next? Woof.
July 1st, 2009 @ 23:23where the fuck do madrid get their money from?! i know a lot of people who would like to get injections of liquidity of a similar size…
July 2nd, 2009 @ 00:07I don,t care what people say!
July 2nd, 2009 @ 01:07I,m still a real fan !
1 thing I can say,is that they are a good team but they have 2 stop buying so manny stars ! look at barca I hate them but they are playing some beautiful ball !
Real can do that 2 but there is 1 problem ! I say players like Marcelo who don’t like passing etc !If you put some good and beaytiful food work they will see, that we will be the next champions in the chamopions leaqe and another thing i,m sorry 4 the barca fans who liked 2 se Benzema playing 4 Barca i say sorry 4 you b3cse he likes madrid, and it was his or is his dream team sooo i say good lock 4 you allm, and i will se what whe are upp 2 !
this is absolutely nuts…i love it…regardless of how good they are in real life, they’re fifa team will be RIDICULOUS
July 2nd, 2009 @ 00:37its exciting times 4 Madrid! as a supporter i cant wait to see them in action but truth is, football is a team sport and players like Ronaldo, kaka and Ribery(maybe) are players that have stepped up in their former teams but now they all in 1 team! surely not all of them can step up! if 1 was to do it i’d say Ronaldo mule step up to be the best of the best because his the most arrogant but here’s another question! can pellegrini handle a dressing room full of stars? sure maybe a wenger, mourinho, hiddink or ferguson could but pellegrini? if it didnt work 1st time round wat makes pple think it’ll work second time? … or maybe who cares if it works or not! just the fact that will see the worlds best struting their stuff in 1 team together is special in itself, i saw amazing football with the figo’s, zidane’s, ronaldo’s, roberto carlos’s and so on of the past so why not just sit back and enjoy the ronaldo’s, kaka’s and benzema’s of the now do their thing! all it takes is a few fancy moves, stunning goals and extranvigant finishing to get pple talking! and honestly, if in six years they win 1 champions league trophy, i’d call it a success! every1 remember’s zidanes stunner against leverkusen!
July 2nd, 2009 @ 00:38ITS FOR TIMES LIKE THESE THAT I HAVE BEEN, AM AND WILL ALWAYS BE A REAL MADRID SUPPORTER!
July 2nd, 2009 @ 00:54can’t wait to see Real Madrid fail miserably in the coming seasons and perez gets fired
July 2nd, 2009 @ 01:16bad move by Madrid, cause no matter what they do, they can’t beat barcelona as barca are at their golden era
July 2nd, 2009 @ 01:18I’m glad Perez have successfully built a new team of Galacticos even without the addition of Ribery just yet. Though I’m not sure that a team of stars will actually guarantee success. It’s a team game afterall.
It’s no doubt ridiculous that such huge amounts of cash being bandied on transfer fees. I’m no fan but I hope Perez got it right.
Having said that, I so won’t mind Liverpool or Barca embarassing Real time and again.
July 2nd, 2009 @ 02:36Benzema or potentially Ribery = new Zidane
Ronaldo = new Luis Figo
Kaka = new Ronaldo(?)
Exciting times for Real Madrid. It will be fantastic if this past Barca side can match and even beat the new part 2 Galacticos.
July 2nd, 2009 @ 03:25deja vu
6-2
no words needed
July 2nd, 2009 @ 06:15For the Rest, Real Madrid Need’s Xabi Alonso, Alvaro Arbeloa and Nemanja Vidic.. THAT’S IT!!
July 2nd, 2009 @ 07:28Real Madrid Next Season Complete Formation (with Aggressive and Attractive 4-2-3-1):
1. Casillas,
4. Sergio Ramos, 3. Pepe, 15. Vidic, 2. Arbeloa,
5. Xabi Alonso, 16. Gago / 14. Guti Haz,
9. C. Ronaldo, 7. Raul Gonzalez (c), 8. Kaka,
10. Benzema
Does Anyone Agree With Me.. Hala Madrid!!
Vidic is not going anywhere this season or the next one. Madrid has a dangerous strike force but they have a shit defence.
July 2nd, 2009 @ 08:10viva Galacticos prt 2. We are back into seriuos business, come champions league……….europe watch out.
July 2nd, 2009 @ 09:14I rekon madrid could become the joke of football after this season, lets face it if they dont win la liga and champions league they WILL be the biggest jokes in modern football. I dont think there manager will be able to handle the egos never mind raul. These players madrid are buying look amazing…. when they have 10 men built around them trying to make them look good, how will all these players fair not having the team built around them….
July 2nd, 2009 @ 10:04I just want to see what will happen next season but i highly doubt theyll win anything maybe the copa del ray?
Vidic going to Real? Where has that come from?
July 2nd, 2009 @ 11:13@ebyz: I don’t rate Pepe or Arbeloa and Vidic is going nowhere. Barca’s midfield eats that one and it remains to be seen whether your forward line can gel.
Time for a re-think me thinks!
July 2nd, 2009 @ 11:56They are shit. Real Madrid. Gonna hav a lot, i mean alot of defensive problems next season. i doubt this team will b together for more than 2 seasons anyway.
Its a team of champions instead of a champion team. Man Utd, Chelsea, Liverpool, Inter, Barca, they’ll all still easily beat this team in C/league if they meet
July 2nd, 2009 @ 14:08You have to realize the real implications of these moves.
July 2nd, 2009 @ 14:32Which club is everybody talking about these days – Real Madrid
Which club would people be interested in watching next season because of so many big moves in a single transfer window – Real Madrid
Real may not be strong defensively(yet) but in a single month or so, Perez has brought his club back into the limelight … slightly more than a month has passed since Barca played great football to become champions of Spain & Europe and Real Madrid is the name on everybody’s lips due to these moves(as idiotic they may seem without proper defensive cover)
I wouldn’t call a team led by Ronaldo and with Casillas as the keeper to be easy to beat.
Let’s see what they do with their central midfield – Lass is too … non-galactico for them.
July 2nd, 2009 @ 14:32real gonna rock this season…they will sign some defenders like maicon too…then they will be unstoppable…
casillas
maicon pepe s.ramos arbeloa
L.diarra
ronaldo ribery
kaka
higuain benzema
unbelievable!!!!!!!!!!cant wait to c them…hala madrid…..
July 2nd, 2009 @ 14:38totally agree with you FUZZY, Real has just become the team that every1′s talking about again! they in the limelight! and as ive said before! who cares if they not successful, being presented with an opportunity to see the worlds best do their thing in a single team is exciting enough! i wouldnt say the galaticos part1 was very successful yet today pple still speak of them… and im sure every1 has atleast 1 amazing memory of something special 1 of the galaticos did! like the zidane volley! or ronaldo’s hatrick against man united and many more! thats wat i call the beautiful game
July 2nd, 2009 @ 21:00Real is trying to assemble a team fit for Winning Eleven, but they’ll soon discover that reality isn’t like a video game. You need team chemistry and cohesion to be champions. I foresee a triumphant Catalan side hoisting the trophy next year.
July 2nd, 2009 @ 21:58Yes people still talk about the first galacticos…..usually with a smirk remembering all of their fine acheivments *cough*. Galacticos my ass. Real Disney I say.
July 2nd, 2009 @ 22:55if they do bring in Ribery, I might start watching the La Liga besides the El CLasico lol
July 2nd, 2009 @ 23:16Kaka, Ronaldo, Ribery will be very interesting
sandy what about raul?
July 3rd, 2009 @ 06:43This is sickining. Teams like Real Madrid and Manchester City are ruining the game of football with these signings it is turning this sport into a game where if you don’t have money you might as well just play league 2. I hope they both fail miserably you can’t have that many stars on a team because they will all be in it for themselves like Ronaldo’s sad display in the final for manchester United in which he felt like shooting every time he got the ball instead of playing a team game. Which is part of the reason many United fans won’t miss his selfish play when he played like a professional he was great, but with all these stars he is going to have to share the limelight we’ll see how that works out for him.
July 3rd, 2009 @ 09:14asuming real get alonso and arbeloa
—————-casillas——————
ramos——pepe———albiol—–arbeloa
———–alonso——-lass————–
——-kaka’—————-ronaldo——-
————higuain—-benzema————
and villa in place of higuain if he goes to madrid
July 4th, 2009 @ 15:27I think its great that ronaldos left man u… i hope that they finally lose that cocky attitude thats been building up in the team over the last couple of seasons, without ronaldo or tevez (which by the way, the idea of having berbertov replacing tevez was ridiculus…)man u will be struggling this next season and the rest of the top four (chelsea, liverpool, and arsenal) will be quick to take advantage.
by way of real madrid, messi easily outclassed ronaldo last season, henry and (when he is on form =/) eto undoubtedly outclass benzema and the passing duo of xavi and iniesta are an easy match for kakas dribbling and tactical awareness… barcalona are an almost perfected team in thier own right wihout many big new signings, i would just like to see bojan replace eto and for a replacement to be found for valdes
July 6th, 2009 @ 05:08iguess RAUL will be starter
July 24th, 2009 @ 06:49Real Madrid are just greedy and with a team with all stars they probably won’t click cus they will all be ball hungry lol.
August 2nd, 2009 @ 11:58