Monday 1 December 2008

Take one name off the list

It's currently breaking all over the internet that Real Madrid have bought Klaas-Jan Huntelaar. He's one of the players we went for on Robinho Day (he said he turned down an offer from an 'average English club'), and it was alleged we'd go back in for him in January.

Not any more though, as Diario AS are reporting now that he is about to be confirmed as a Real player from January - Calderon is due to announce tonight and unveil him at the Bernabeu tomorrow. It's not a significant loss - he was always a quite implausible target for us for obvious reasons - I'd be more than happy with Podolski or Santa Cruz anyway.

But could Real's young Dutch contingent (they already have Sneijder, Robben, van der Vaart and the less cool Drenthe) get any more cool?

UPDATE 12.01 Turns out it's not a done-deal quite yet. Real seem to have an agreement with Huntelaar (5 years on €6million/year), and a fee is currently being negotiated for roughly €20million. I imagine Ajax are likely to sell, or this wouldn't be getting quite as much coverage from the Madrid press.

UPDATE Wednesday. It's now a done deal.

5 comments:

Unknown said...

Drenthe is "less cool"?

How do you work that one out, Jack?

As for Huntelaar - sad loss and Santa Cruz or Podolski will certainly not do for me. Benzema or Kun. Either one or both to be frank.

bluemoon city 4 ever said...

just seen robinho interview he says we have not got winnin mentality in our players.He is urgin more quality players in jan cause now he finaly knows we are full of crap.The players are happy to finish second best here sounds to me he is startin to get itchy feet.Or is it a statement of i was told i was comin to a club fightin for europe and champions league football.Instead the players here are happy to pick up large wage play golf do crappy photo shoots for clothes.Then they moan or make excuses of bein tired of playin three games in a week what a shame they should come and work with me for a week up and out at half six in mornin full day graft for money they probably spend in one tank of petrol for their sports cars.I spend my hard ernd money come sunday not one showed passion for that game and as for mr hughes he contributed to our downfall yesterday with that poor,poor selection in the first half 14th place 8 loses yes hughes we are progessin loads with every game you get closer to the sack.

TLDORC said...

illmatic

I mean he's not as good, for a start. He also doesn't have that very Dutch arrogant grace of the others.

simonk said...

Robinho got one thing right in his interview - we've got do something about the defence in January. I think we have to build a back four around Kompany (assuming we get a ball-winning midfielder). I am afraid Dunnie is creaking, Richards is going backwards every week, and Garrido can't defend to save his life. Zabaleta is worth his place at the moment, but even then we can probably do better. Kompany is the future; Dunne is the past. This is no time for sentimental attachment.

TLDORC said...

simonk

I basically agree with you that the back four for 2009/10 could well read: '? Kompany ? Zabaleta'. Neither Dunne nor Richards look good enough for where we want to be going. But moving Kompany into centre back is entirely contingent on buying a world class holding midfielder: if we could play Diarra-Ireland-Johnson in front of a good back 4 we'd be in a good position, but even then doubts over Johnson's fitness mean that maybe Diarra-Ireland-AN Other (Tymoschuk? Cana? Alonso?) would be best. Unless we really improve in midfield we can't afford to let Kompany move back.