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29 March 2024

Transfer latest: Rodriguez to Real impact… Di Maria to Man Utd, Khedira to Arsenal

Published
By Football Correspondent

Ed Woodward, the man in charge of business at Manchester United has reiterated that the club have drawn out that famous ‘blank cheque’ for the transfer business ahead of this year’s English Premier League season.

Arsene Wenger is looking busier and more likely to ‘spend’ than he has for some seasons.

Louis Van Gaal is putting the team through the pre-season paces on its US tour, but clearly all the action is happening back home (Evra to Juve) and in Spain.

Colombian World Cup star James Rodriguez, is set to sign for Real Madrid in a £60million transfer deal.

The speculation is that several of ‘Jose Mourinho’s crew’ might be ready to move on as Carol Ancelotti seeks to build “his own team” at Real.

Rodriguez is the typical Galacticos signing that will see club president Florentino Perez’s stock rise in the eyes of the fans.

The real deal, however, is the coming of Toni Kroos from Bayern Munich.

With Cristiano Ronaldo on side and Gareth Bale on the other, Madrid now truly have a side that looks capable of dominating world club football.

So who will leave and where will they go?

Sami Khedira to Arsenal?

Angel di Maria to Manchester United?

Or will Jose Mourinho spoil the party for Messrs Wenger and Van Gaal.

Ancelotti has been vocal about not letting Di Maria go, not so much about Khedira. This does put Arsenal in pole position, if Wenger wants him badly.

Van Gaal, if the transfer gossip is to believed, seems to lean towards Bastian Schweinsteiger more than Di Maria, but the likelihood of the German midfielder leaving Bayern is about as much as Steven Gerrard leaving Liverpool.

So Angel Di Maria might be the more plausible switch.

That would pack the United midfield with a fair amount of creative talent – Ander Herrera and Juan Mata already lurking.

Surely Mourinho would not want that?