1 Summer Transfer Rumour Real Madrid Fans Do Not Want to Come True
As ever, Real Madrid are among the big players in this summer's transfer window, with Los Blancos heavily discussed in relation to some of Europe's biggest names.
Among those mentioned have been Sergio Aguero, Paul Pogba, David De Gea, Arturo Vidal, Thibaut Courtois, Geoffrey Kondogbia and Lucas Biglia. Speculation has also surrounded the futures of several players currently residing at Real Madrid.
But one transfer saga stands above all and is the one Real Madrid fans would hate to see occur: Sergio Ramos' possible departure.
Below, we examine the situation, Ramos' influence at the Bernabeu and why there could be some difficult knock-on effects if the defender were to head for the exit.
The Situation
Ramos has two years left to run on his current contract which expires in June 2017, but he had been seeking a new deal throughout the 2014-15 season. Under Perez, extensions have typically been signed well before a contract enters its final 24 months.
But talks have been at a standstill for some time, Ramos having wanted a salary increase to recognise his leading role in the club's capture of La Decima. According to the Guardian's Sid Lowe, "Ramos earns €6-7 million a year after tax; €12 million fewer than Cristiano Ronaldo and less than Gareth Bale, Karim Benzema and Iker Casillas." Marco Ruiz of AS reported that Ramos was seeking a salary of €10 million per season.
Perez, however, has been reluctant to negotiate with the 29-year-old (a marginally improved offer of €7.5 million was made), and the pair's relationship is riddled with tension and distrust. Ramos is an influential figure in the Spanish capital, and as noted by Lowe, the president "does not trust players who accumulate power." Ramos was strongly opposed to Jose Mourinho, was a vocal supporter of Carlo Ancelotti and hasn't publicly endorsed new boss Rafa Benitez.
Additionally, Ramos is believed to be annoyed that Real Madrid didn't deny the story of the star defender being offered to Barcelona presidential candidate Jordi Majo, heightening his sense of poor treatment at the hands of his club.
Now, with talks having seemingly broken down, Ramos has asked Perez and Real Madrid to "listen to offers," per Ruiz, after meeting with chief executive Jose Angel Sanchez at Valdebebas on Wednesday.
Consequently, Real Madrid have given the defender a €90 million price tag, despite the fact that his current contract has a buyout clause of €180 million.
Earlier this week, Manchester United made an initial offer €50 million, and on Saturday AS reported that Real Madrid had received a second bid of €60 million from the Old Trafford club, as United continue to play hardball with Real in a transfer saga that also involves De Gea.
Ramos' On-Field Influence
Ramos is unquestionably among Real Madrid's most influential players, having been at the club for 10 years following his arrival in 2005.
At Real Madrid, the Andalusian has lifted every trophy available to him, and he played an unforgettable role in the club's capture of La Decima with starring performances against Bayern Munich and Atletico Madrid.
Strong in the air, quick across the ground, ferocious with his tackling and a scorer of crunch goals, the former Sevilla star is the complete package as a modern centre-back, leading Ancelotti to compare him with AC Milan defensive great Paolo Maldini.
Per WhoScored.com, in 2014-15 Ramos led Real Madrid in interceptions, blocks and aerials won, ranked second for clearances and was the most prolific tackler among the club's central defenders in Pepe, Raphael Varane and Nacho.
The Spain international also continued his remarkable goalscoring form for a defender (as highlighted above by Opta), tallying seven goals in all competitions for the second straight season at the Bernabeu.
Leadership and Identity
As we noted here at Bleacher Report this week, there's more to Ramos' significance at Real Madrid than simply his talent; he's representative of something more, something bigger:
"Yet perhaps more than any other player in Real Madrid's modern history, Ramos has come to embody the club's historical essence, madridismo.
The term madridismo is difficult to define. For some, it's founded upon values of courage, leadership, desire, humility, hard work and respect. To others, it's about the defence of the badge, never knowing when one is beaten and the perpetual pursuit of triumph. Regardless, Ramos is nearly all of those things. He's symbolic of the club's traditional identity.
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Indeed, Ramos' character and disposition are emblematic of what Real Madrid have always striven to be. And you can't put a price on that.
Knock-On Effect of Possible Departure
According to Marca, Real Madrid have made Valencia's outstanding Nicolas Otamendi their No. 1 priority should Ramos depart the Bernabeu this summer.
In a lot of ways, Otamendi is very similar to Ramos, a defender defined by his aggression, strength, combativeness and threat at set pieces. The Argentinian has also indicated his desire to leave the Mestalla, and his buyout clause is €50 million—a feasible figure for Real Madrid.
However, Otamendi's arrival would complicate matters in Real's squad and cause reshuffling headaches elsewhere.
Under UEFA regulations, clubs can only have three non-EU players. Following the arrival of Danilo from Porto, Real Madrid already have four in the form of the Brazilian right-back, Casemiro, Lucas Silva and James Rodriguez. Already, Silva looks the most likely to be forced out in the four-way battle for three spots, but Otamendi's arrival (the Argentinian is another non-EU player) would likely mean Casemiro has to depart as well.
Such a situation would strip Real Madrid of two players at one position (defensive midfield), forcing the club back into the transfer market for further additions when what Real really need is a summer of stability and a halt of the Bernabeu's revolving door of transfers.
All of which underlines the fact that the blow of Ramos' possible exit would be damaging and multi-faceted.
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