Real Madrid Transfer News: Yaya Toure, Cristiano Ronaldo, Gareth Bale Rumours

Real Madrid have been named by Yaya Toure’s agent as one of a selection of clubs keen on signing the Manchester City star this summer.

The Ivory Coast international has been a mainstay of the City side since joining the club from Barcelona in 2010, although his influence has waned this season. Nevertheless, his agent Dimitri Seluk has confirmed there are many illustrious names willing to sign the 32-year-old midfielder, per fcinternews.it (h/t Liam Spence of the Daily Express): 

"

There is no news for the moment. We are still waiting, but I think that time is running out. In a short time we will have some significant changes. There are plenty of clubs who want him, there are no problems of choice. 

I think Real Madrid and Paris Saint Germain, or at the same time Inter, which already tried last summer, want to take him.

"

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At this stage of his career Toure poses quite the conundrum for City manager Manuel Pellegrini, who has struggled to find the right balance with him in the team.

While he remains a threat in advanced areas and when carrying the ball through phases of the pitch, there are long spells in matches in which the Ivory Coast international can be passed by. Still, his sharp passing, strength and penchant for big goals have always made him worth the gamble.

However, as noted here by Squawka Football, late on this season his influence has tailed off a lot:

It’s difficult to see how Toure would fit in at Real. While he’s a huge talent and a footballer who would be able to add a decisiveness in the final third, manager Zinedine Zidane has showed during his tenure he wants players in the side who can contribute going forward and in terms of defensive play too. The midfielder can no longer tick both boxes.

For a lot of teams just below the elite level, Toure would be a wonderful capture and a player worth building the side around. However, with Kevin De Bruyne and David Silva excelling off the striker, where the midfielder has previously been accommodated, City are approaching a point where it’s time to move on from a player who has been a tremendous servant.

Updates on Cristiano Ronaldo, Gareth Bale Future

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According to Sky Sports’ Spanish football expert Guillem Balague, Real Madrid have been trying to find a buyer for Cristiano Ronaldo all season, as they seek to make Gareth Bale the main man in their attack.

“Ronaldo and Real Madrid tried to part ways and have found it very difficult,” he told La Liga Podcast, per Sky Sports. “Unless someone comes with the money for both parties, Ronaldo is there to stay. Which means the likes of Robert Lewandowski will say he is not coming.”

The reason for the willingness to move Ronaldo on is said to be due to the fact Los Blancos have assured Bale he would be at the crux of the team’s forward forays. 

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“[Bale] was told next season he would be the focal point of Real Madrid. When he has been given the opportunity, he has embraced it fully and has enjoyed himself,” Balague added. “Ronaldo has been limiting his influence on the game. Ronaldo is picked to play in and around the box so there is more work to do for the others and more work to do for Bale.”

Here’s a look at how the two players compare statistically in La Liga this term:

	Ronaldo	Bale
Apps (Sub)	34	20 (2)
Goals	31	19
Assists	11	10
Shots per game	6.4	3.7
Passing accuracy	79.3%	79.6 %
Aerial duels won per game	1.6	0.9

While Ronaldo has outscored Bale by some distance, the Welshman has suffered with a lot of injuries this term. As Squawka Football note here, when he’s been on the field he’s been on fire:

Even so, while the former Tottenham Hotspur man has excelled as of late, he’s still not on Ronaldo’s level. The Portuguese remains the talisman at the Santiago Bernabeu, and when the team is on the hunt for a goal, it’s typically him who they turn to. Filling that void would be big pressure on Bale’s shoulders.