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Barcelona transfer flurry leaves modest Madrid in the shade
MADRID, Jan 25, 2019 (BSS/AFP) – The January transfer window is supposedly
a market for desperate buyers but Barcelona sit five points clear at the top
of La Liga and have made more signings than any other team in the division.
On Monday, it was Kevin-Prince Boateng doing kick-ups at the Camp Nou and
three days later came Frenkie de Jong, the 21-year-old Dutch midfielder for
whom Barca will pay Ajax 75 million euros ($85 million), with a further 11
million euros due in add-ons.
“In De Jong, we add talent, youth and a player with Barca style,” said
president Josep Maria Bartomeu. “He will be a key player in the next few
years.”
Boateng and De Jong, who will join in July, follow Jeison Murillo from
Valencia, a central defender for the present, and Jean-Clair Todibo from
Toulouse, another to mould for the future, who will also arrive in the
summer.
– Real spending less –
Barcelona go up against Catalan neighbours Girona on Sunday and a few
hours later, less than 70 miles away, Real Madrid play Espanyol.
Madrid’s most expensive player will be Vinicius Junior, the 18-year-old
signed for 45 million euros last summer. Gareth Bale, who is injured, is the
only one more costly and they signed him six years ago.
Since then, the European champions have spent more than 50 million euros
just once, on James Rodriguez, who is now on loan at Bayern Munich and not
expected to return.
Barca have smashed that total five times in the same period, twice more
than doubling it, to bring in Philippe Coutinho and Ousmane Dembele.
Those deals were propped up by the sale of Neymar, which helped the club
announce record revenues of 914 million euros for last season. They predict
another jump to 960 million this term.
But Real’s finances are also in good shape. They expect to report figures
of 752 million euros for 2018-19, with their president Florentino Perez
confident his club can be the first to reach a billion.
“The only way to remain independent is to be financially healthy,” Perez
said in September. “That is the base of our sporting success.”
Perhaps Madrid’s reduced transfer spending is due to planned improvements
to their Santiago Bernabeu home, for which a 575 million euro loan will be
taken out. But Perez has insisted it will not impact the team, while
Barcelona are also upgrading the Camp Nou, at a cost of 400 million euros.
Perez could instead be keeping his pockets full for a fresh tilt at Neymar
next summer, with the Brazilian’s future at Paris Saint-Germain seemingly
uncertain.
Neymar would be the kind of star name to fill the void left by Cristiano
Ronaldo and there would be added satisfaction in bringing back the player
that trained at Valdebebas as a 14-year-old, only to sign for Barcelona when
he was 21.
In recent years, Madrid’s strategy has been to target youth. “We are
strengthening our search for young players that will become the next great
players of the sport,” Perez said in July.
But, despite their historic success in Europe, Barca’s splurge must make
them nervous.
Key players have shows signs of age or left, Neymar remains at Paris Saint-
Germain and the Catalans are 10 points ahead, firmly on course to win their
eighth La Liga title in 11 seasons.
“We have to get closer to the top,” coach Santiago Solari said on
Thursday.
Madrid could save face by winning the Champions League again but the task
will be harder this year without Ronaldo, who scored 15 goals en route to
them hoisting the trophy in May. Perez also failed to replace him last
summer.
Atletico Madrid, Barca’s closest challengers, are expected to complete a
deal for Chelsea’s Alvaro Morata this month but not before Saturday’s game at
home to Getafe. Sevilla, in fourth, play at home to Levante.
Fixtures (times GMT) Saturday
Sevilla v Levante (1200), Atletico Madrid v Getafe (1515), Leganes v
Eibar (1730), Valencia v Villarreal (1945)
Sunday
Real Valladolid v Celta Vigo (1100), Girona v Barcelona (1515), Athletic
Bilbao v Real Betis (1730), Real Sociedad v Huesca (1730), Espanyol v Real
Madrid (1945)
BSS/AFP/RY/1740 hrs