After a title winning campaign in Spain last season, Los Blancos, who also lifted the Champions League title for the second successive season, are easily the best side in Europe at the moment. Zinedine Zidane, the manager at the Bernabeu, has made a couple of decent additions but has not spent big this transfer window as he knows that his side has a lot of quality already in its ranks.
However, he is looking for a couple of additions to add depth to the squad before the deadline day and one shocking name linked with a move to the club is Fernando Llorente.
Real Madrid open talks with player
In what came as a bizarre news to the football fans, European Champions Real Madrid are interested in signing Spanish striker Fernando Llorente this summer as a backup to Karim Benzema, their French number 9. Reports claim that Llorente’s agent has offered the player to the La Liga outfit this summer.
Also linked with Chelsea, Llorente could be a decent option for Real but is he what they actually need?
Llorente and his career
A target man with exceptional finishing abilities, Llorente is one of the most established and experienced strikers in world football at the moment. He is a product of the Athletic Bilbao Academy and has 285 La Liga appearances to his name in his career. He also has 66 Serie A appearances, 33 EPL appearances, 37 UEL appearances and 24 international appearances for his country and was in excellent form at the Liberty Stadium last season.
Excellent with his hold up play and positioning in the final third, the 32-year old scored 15 goals in the domestic league last season in England and has ever since been linked with an exit. Chelsea are ready to offer £15m for his services, which could be enough for Swansea to sell but is he an option for Real?
Chances at Bernabeu
Zinedine Zidane has stuck with Karim Benzema as his first choice striker this season and can also use Cristiano Ronaldo to play in the striker’s role if needed. They had Alvaro Morata to call upon from the bench in the previous season to lead the attack of the side but the Spaniard is not up and running at the English capital, leaving Real a bit weak in attack.
Borja Mayoral is the only other natural option in the squad for this role and Llorente’s La Liga experience makes him a decent squad player, an impact player from the bench. But at 32, he is only a short term solution, something Zidane is just not familiar with.
Most of the transfer activity from the French manager has been in accordance with the long-term project in his hand and Llorente does not fit in this system. He is a decent striker but is just not what Real Madrid need to repeat their performances from the previous season.
