Real Madrid: How Zinedine Zidane plans to wrestle LaLiga from Barcelona and why his legacy is at stake this summer

Real Madrid: How Zinedine Zidane plans to wrestle LaLiga from Barcelona and why his legacy is at stake this summer
Last summer was an uncharacteristically austere one at Real Madrid. This summer will not be.Finishing 19 points behind Barcelona does not permit that. Finishing behind Atltico Madrid for a second season in a row does not permit that. Bringing back Zinedine Zidane does not permit that.Getty Images5

Zinedine Zidane is braced for the most important summer of his career

The French coach has more skin than most in this summers game. The three time Champions League winner was treated like a hero when he made a shock return to the Santiago Bernabu earlier this year. Treated as the only person capable of pulling Madrid out of their mess.Zidane had the leverage needed in negotiating his comeback to earn exceptional power in the transfer window that is rarely if ever granted to a Madrid coach. He will have a huge say on who they bring in and who they move on in the coming months.The success or failure of his moves in this transfer window in returning Madrid to the top will define part of his legacy. The operations will be many and they will be complicated. The first signings, winger Rodrgyo, defender der Milito and striker Luka Jovi, are only the tip of the iceberg. The trio are support players destined to enter into squad rotation and not direct requests from Zidane, who has his sights set on far bigger targets. The kind of signings Madrid failed to make last year with disastrous consequences.This year there is no doubt over who Zidanes first priority is. A priority he has been advocating since way back in 2009, when he first returned to Madrid as an advisor to Florentino Prez.“I would bring Eden Hazard to Real Madrid with my eyes closed, the Frenchman said of the then Lille player at the time. Chelsea ultimately beat Los Blancos to the punch, but matters will soon be put right.Getty5

Eden Hazard celebrates winning the Europa League in May

Hazard ticks so many boxes for Madrid in terms of quality, suitability for constructing a new team, and availability that hes effectively a ‘tap-in’ for both Zidane and the club.The Belgian is so consistent and so clearly ready for the step up that there is not even a molecule of doubt that he will perform.The more immediate consequence of his signing this summer though is a financial one: gone are the days when Real Madrid had the monetary advantage needed to out-muscle all-comers in the market.The economic strength of the top Premier League sides, Paris Saint-Germain and Juventus means that with Hazard through the door, the Spanish giants will have to be more selective about their subsequent moves and how they use their resources.Getty Images5

Luka Modric and Toni Kroos had a tough season in Madrid and are battling for their places

So while the faltering performances of Toni Kroos and Luka Modric last season make it clear that a big-name midfielder needs to be brought in, there isnt the financial leeway to bring in two.Zidane prefers Paul Pogba, the club prefers Christian Eriksen. The resolution of that battle, how the chosen player performs, and who their principle backer at Madrid was, will be remembered.Sign Pogba, suffer a flat season from the France international at huge expense, and Zidanes support of him will not be overlooked. Or vice-versa, should the midfielder return to the level he showed at Juventus.Clinton Morrison says it comes as no shock that Christian Eriksen wants to leave TottenhamNegotiations for either midfielder will be prolonged and tricky, but a more straightforward operation is Ferland Mendy.The Lyon left-back is Zidanes express request to compete with the declining Marcelo, and the coach will get his way.Zizou already contacted the 23-year-old directly to convince him that he is in line to get enough minutes in 2019/20 to compete for a spot in Frances Euro 2020 squad, showing the Madrid boss is ready to be ruthless with the underperforming veteran who currently defends the left side of the defence. But as a key player in so many trophy wins, Marcelos shoes are big ones to fill, and there will be a large amount of scrutiny on the successor chosen by Zidane.Getty Images5

Mendy is one of Europe’s best young full-backs

Then there are his choices regarding who to move on. Funds are not limitless, and to complete the level of signings planned this summer, Madrid need to balance the books to the tune of around 200m in sales.Isco, Dani Ceballos, James Rodrguez, Marcos Llorente and Mateo Kovai are all likely candidates. Ral de Toms meanwhile, despite his strong season on loan at Rayo Vallecano, failed to do enough to earn support from Zidane, the signing of Jovi suggests.And this time around there was no great protest in favour of Keylor Navas either, who will finally be moved on to clear the way for under-fire Thibaut Courtois.This time Zidane picked his battles. One battle the manager has taken up though is his clear push to get rid of Gareth Bale, the Welshman dropped for two matches in a row then an unused substitute, denied any kind of send-off in the last game of the season at the Bernabu. No ambiguity about Zidanes wishes there.Getty Images5

Gareth Bale looks set to leave Real Madrid this year, whether on loan or permanently

Should any of the players who depart go on to perform exceptionally elsewhere it will likely become a point of contention remember the fuss over what happened with Arjen Robben and Wesley Sneijder after being ushered out the door not too long ago. And this time, the buck stops with the manager.Every time Zidane says yes, says no, or says nothing at all in the coming weeks, it has the potential to be a moment of great consequence when conclusions are made this time next year.Club legend or otherwise, Zizou has a huge amount at stake this summer.

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Home » News » Talksport » Barcelona vs Liverpool team news: Injury updates as Barca aim to wrap up historic treble Barcelona vs Liverpool team news: Injury updates as Barca aim to wrap up historic treble
Barcelona vs Liverpool team news: Injury updates as Barca aim

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The 20-year-old winger was one of the most sought-after players in Europe and he has explained why he eventually chose Stamford Bridge. "I've seen their style of play," Pulisic said. "I've always appreciated how they've played football, and it's really nice how they play now, with their new coach. It fits me very well."
Christian Pulisic on why he joined Chelsea & not Liverpool

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"Chelsea ready to offer Callum Hudson-Odoi HUGE new deal in bid to halt Bayern transfer" Chelsea ready to offer Callum Hudson-Odoi HUGE new deal in bid to halt Bayern transfer This is significantly more than the £22,000-a-week that he currently earns but he would surely require certain assurances if he were to stay at Stamford Bridge.
RB Leipzig join the race to sign Callum Hudson-Odoi as Bayern

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Chelsea vs Manchester United probable XIs before Monday's FA Cup fifth round tie. N'Golo Kante out of position, no Romelu Lukaku.

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Last season's award went to Mo Salah, Liverpool's prolific striker. He also bagged the PFA Young Player of the Year and Football Writer's Footballer of the Year. The Egypt international is among the favourites this year with Marathon Bet quoting 5/1 on him retaining his title. Should he do so, Salah will join an exclusive group.
2018/19 PFA Players' Player of the Year nominees: Virgil van

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David de Gea Quintana (Spanish pronunciation: [daˈβið ðe ˈxea kinˈtana]; born 7 November 1990) is a Spanish professional footballer who plays as a goalkeeper for Premier League club Manchester United and the Spain national team.

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But England being England made a huge song and dance about the win - Kyle Walker and John Stones doing the dancing. Below you can see the video of the England team's celebrations immediately after the game including the hilarious jig by the Manchester City pair.
Watch Kyle Walker and John Stones' hilarious dance after

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Former Sunderland and Manchester City forward Adam Johnson has expressed his 'deep regret' for the child sex offences that led to him being imprisoned for three years. Johnson was released
Adam Johnson: Former Sunderland and Manchester City forward

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Tottenham Hotspur v Crystal Palace Betting Preview: Latest odds, team news, tips and predictions. FootballJunkie Premier League Previews 03/04/2019 | 0.
Crystal Palace vs Tottenham: Spurs team news and predicted

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Transfer news and football gossip: Eden Hazard's Real Madrid

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Zlatan Ibrahimovic on Manchester United spell: 'I don't need to lick a**, but the fans were just amazing' The 37-year-old won the Carabao Cup and Europa League during his two seasons with United
"I don't need to lick a**, but the fans were just amazing

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UEFA Champions League Match Report for Tottenham Hotspur v Borussia Dortmund on 13 February 2019, includes all goals and incidents. Have your say on the game in the comments.
Dortmund vs Spurs Live Stream: Lineups, How to Watch

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Tottenham boss Mauricio Pochettino expects a fight against Manchester City as his side prepare to spend final night in North West after three matches against Pep Guardiola's team
Mauricio Pochettino reveals Manchester United vs Barcelona

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