Wednesday, 3rd August, 2011
Real Madrid are considering offering defender Raul Albiol as part of a deal to bring out-of-favour Manchester City striker Emmanuel Adebayor back to the Bernabeu.
Los Blancos coach Jose Mourinho is ready to pull out all the stops to ensure Adebayor is at his disposal for the new season. The Portuguese was impressed not just with the City man’s performances towards the end of last season in a loan spell with the Spanish giants, but also his desire to move to Real Madrid.
Another factor influencing Mourinho is the complicated nature of the club’s swoop for Santos wonderkid Neymar and the potential delay in the 19-year-old’s arrival.
While Real Madrid have the outline of an agreement with Neymar and will also pay the player’s €45M release clause, the striker himself wants to remain at Santos to help the Copa Libertadores holders compete in the Club World Cup.
And this has led Neymar to seek to postpone his move to the Bernabeu, despite Mourinho himself pleading with the Brazilian to land this summer.
Adebayor then could represent a crucial part of Real Madrid’s jigsaw for the start of the new La Liga season, but finances, with €30M spent on Fabio Coentrao from Benfica, €10M lavished on Nuri Sahin from Borussia Dortmund and €45M earmarked for Neymar, are a concern.
Real Madrid therefore could throw centre back Albiol into any deal with City to bring down a potential transfer fee.
Roberto Mancini is thought to rate the former Valencia stopper and the 25-year-old was believed to be unhappy at Los Blancos signing of young French defender Raphael Varane this summer, thinking he could soon be nudged down the pecking order.
An opportunity to move to Eastlands may well appeal to the Spaniard.
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