Sunday, 2nd September, 2012
Former Real Madrid midfielder Guti has slammed Los Blancos’ decision to ship Esteban Granero out of the Bernabeu and bring Michael Essien in this summer.
On a frantic transfer deadline day, Real Madrid sold Spanish pass-master Granero to English Premier League outfit Queens Park Rangers, while later swooping to sign Essien on a season-long loan from Chelsea.
Essien’s arrival resulted in Lassana Diarra being shipped to wealthy Russian Premier League club Anzhi Makhachkala. Guti however is of the opinion that Real Madrid did not need to sign Essien, could have kept Granero, and thus handed the Spaniard more playing time upon Diarra’s departure.
Indeed, for the man who clocked up more than 500 appearances for Los Blancos and spent 24 years at the club, the actions of his former employers make no sense.
"There are things I do not understand in football and one is them is to bring Essien in to let Granero go", Guti told Madrid-based daily Marca.
"Granero is much better than him and he is Spanish.
"Right now the best players are Spanish. What happens is that more money is taken if it is a foreign player, it does not sit well with me.
"Having [Sami] Khedira, Granero, Xabi Alonso and [Luka] Modric, if they play three, do we need Lass or Essien? I don’t think so and we have the cantera [Real Madrid youth system, ed.]
"It is my opinion and what I really think. That does not mean I am right, but it is what I say."
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