Because Real don't need a keeper, now that they've agreed to sign De Gea. It'll be funny to see Utd on the end of one of their own style of media campaigns.
It depends how badly Real want De Gea now. If he only has one year left on his contract, why pay more than you have to? I suppose it would depend on how badly Utd wanted Bale and how badly Real wanted to sell. The article seemed to suggest that Perez was far from completely sold on the idea of selling Bale, so it may well take a very good offer to persuade him.
The fact Perez is talking about the possibility of a sale is significant. Of course he's not going to invite low bids. De Gea is from Madrid, his model girlfriend lives there, Casillas is old, Real want the best 'keeper available and it helps he's Spanish and will be the next international 'keeper. All those things tell you he's going there this summer. Leave it another year and there is pressure to look at an alternative. De Gea's form may drop if he's denied a move too. Enthusiasm can be quickly lost. If Real get De Gea plus cash, they can eye up another forward targets. They've won nothing, there is pressure to match Barcelona's forward line and Ronaldo isn't getting any younger. They always buy the hope of the fans by splashing out on a new goalscorer - they are linked with every forward imaginable at present - so it's realistic to think Bale could be making way for someone else. As I said above, there's not much doubt that the fans haven't taken to him.
I I suspect that Perez thinks more of Bale than some of the fans do. It seems Ancelotti does too, as he keeps selecting him. I suppose Real have to look and think can they find a better player than Bale for the money. Yes, there will be massive pressure on Perez to do something after what will almost certainly be a trophy less season. Whether selling Bale is going to help his situation is obviously questionable. As far as Ronaldo goes, as good as he can be, I think a lot of Real's current problems stem from his domination of the team culture. It's always about him, not the team.
Isn't Benzema being heavily linked with a move? That might make more sense, given van Gaal's apparent opinion of Utd's strikers.
The real question about Factitious is which players they'll dump elsewhere for a grossly inflated fee to fund their summer's collecting of shiny things to keep them distracted for a few months. A couple of summers ago it was Ozil, last summer it was Di Maria - and with Khedira out of contract this summer it won't be him. They're obviously seeing Illarramendi as one source of FFP, given they've pretty much said they'll accept bids of £15m+ for him, and they were willing to let Coentrao go a couple of seasons ago and he's been sucking up to Van Galling in the press while a fee of £25m has been floating around. The other choice is Varane, as Chelsea are supposedly ready to offer £40m for him - and if you tot those up, that's £80m headed Factitious' way, even before taking into account CL money et cetera.
Bale is a very good all-around player and an extraordinarily pacy one. What made him the PL's player of the year was not either one of those qualities, so much as his ability to score from long range, especially with free kicks. At one point, Ronaldo had not scored on 26 straight free kicks. Bale must have scored on nearly one out of three his last year for us, or so it seemed. So Real paid for a player with one really outstanding specialty, and has proceeded to not let him do it (due to Ronaldo's star power, clearly). Minus the ability to score from range, he's a 50M player at best. Modric is certainly more valuable. Suarez is much better. So the issue of what he's worth is strange, the more so because the ability to score from range tends to be a "purple patch" kind of skill. Bale was brilliant at it as a teenager, only moderately good for us for a number of years, then absolutely brilliant his last year. Who knows to what extent he would be absolutely brilliant again, and for that matter if he will have the chance to be? Potential buyers should be concerned that he took a real beating in the PL, would do so again, and had, and I would guess still has, a somewhat dicey back.
Platini saying the FFP rules will be "eased" indicates that Factitious may not feel the need to balance the books this summer - so selling Illarramendi and Coentrao might be enough for them.
Excellent article - well worth a read. http://www.sbnation.com/soccer/2015/5/19/8620455/how-to-defend-like-manchester-united-phil-jones
So Chris Ramsey gets the managers job at QPR on a permanent basis with a 3 year contract. I like Chris, he's a decent guy and I hope it works for him, but my goodness he's going to need loads going for him if he's going to sort out the mess he has inherited.
He'd be great if he didn't keep falling over like Bambi on ice. Fortunately, Smalling has played like the budding Rio he was meant to be for the last few months.
QPR have an abundance of old players, who are no doubt on lucrative contracts. He'll be a sensational manager if he can overhaul that squad and bring in enough decent younger players equipped to get them to the top of the Championship after 46 games.
I love that header. I get the distinct impression that most of our centre-halves wouldn't have bothered. Bit of a poisoned chalice. Does anyone even know what's happening with them and the FFP in the Championship yet?
"I like Chris, he's a decent guy and I hope it works for him, but my goodness he's going to need loads going for him if he's going to sort out the mess he has inherited." Get your wish list of Academy loans on the top of Levys' in-tray ASAP, Chris.
They still have a £58mil fine hanging over them that they hoped to dodge by getting promoted and then staying in the Prem. What happens to them now depends on the football league. I very much doubt that they would demote them further, but it's possible.
