Pérez replied there were not many left on the market. There was a certain satisfaction in saying so. How do you improve a European Cup-winning team? Who would even get into this side? And you cannot sign the players you already have. Whatever happened to all the heroes? They came here, that’s what. There were not many left out there because Madrid already had so many and those that they do not have, Barcelona do.
The Ballon d’Or winner is theirs. Cristiano Ronaldo and Gareth Bale are already the most expensive players on the planet and both had scored in Lisbon. Meanwhile Karim Benzema, a man Pérez had personally pursued, might not have always convinced but he had just completed his best season at the club. On the other side of the divide, Barcelona had Lionel Messi and Neymar. Madrid may have cast covetous looks their way but they were unreachable.
And yet if there was satisfaction in Pérez’s words, there was also a hint of sadness. He has talked often of the need to project ilusión: hope, excitement, expectation. There is something of the illusion to it too. At times it is hard to avoid the sensation that Pérez enjoys the summer as much, or more, than the season. It is then that he takes centre stage, when summer presentations become Spanish football’s great occasions. He did not want to be denied that opportunity.
It was suggested to Pérez that there was one huge name out there – Luis Suárez –but Pérez did not commit and Suárez later joined Barcelona. Perhaps Pérez knew that was probable already: the Uruguayan’s transfer from Liverpool was not a product of what happened in Brazil.And so then there were none. Where would the ilusión come from now? The World Cup came to the rescue, as it was always likely to. Nothing creates superstars like it. There is almost always a player who emerges from the tournament as a galáctico-in-waiting. Some of them are already targets, some are not. There was an inevitability about James Rodríguez being linked to Real. Lazy journalism, some decried. This was too easy. But it was true.
The 23-year-old, top scorer at the World Cup and scorer of the best goal in Brazil, for many the player of the tournament, was the revelation – if you can call a player who cost €45m only a year ago a revelation. He has joined Real officially for an undisclosed fee, but one that is reported to be €80m (£63.2m). Ronaldo, Bale, Rodríguez ... between them they have cost just short of €300m.
He did not come alone of course: Toni Kroos has signed for €30m, Keylor Navas will almost certainly be next, and Real have not yet ruled out moving for a striker: Radamel Falcao would leap at the opportunity.
Rodríguez is perfect: brilliant, young, exciting, hugely popular now, impossible to dislike, and a Real fan who travelled to see them play in the Champions League last season, proudly posting a photo with Ronaldo. Represented by Jorge Mendes too; the right man with the right agent.
Rodríguez has said “I would go to Real Madrid with my eyes closed” but it was not quite as simple as just paying the money and taking their choice, although it often seems that way. Even Real cannot simply sign everyone they want without blinking. Last season Mesut Özil departed to allow for the arrival of Bale: the money raised from Özil paid for half of Bale. Supporters protested over the sale at the Welshman’s presentation; when they won the European Cup nine months later, they had forgotten all about the Arsenal playmaker.
This summer, Ángel Di María will almost certainly follow. He was already the other candidate to leave alongside Özil a year ago, a man who had to be reinvented to remain in the team. Sami Khedira may do so too.
As upgrades go, for a team who are already European champions, it is not bad at all: Kroos and Rodríguez for Di María and Khedira. It also means that the strength in depth that Real have is astonishing, able to withstand even the worst of injury crises. Indeed, bans and bumps may almost be a welcome break from the agony of choice. Xabi Alonso, Asier Illaramendi, Kroos, and Luka Modric (and Khedira?) for the central midfield positions. Bale, Benzema, Ronaldo, Rodríguez, Isco, and Jesé for the creative ones. (And Di María for both?) But the qualities that Di María brought may yet be missed if he departs. Carlo Ancelotti did not want to lose him last season and nor did Ronaldo.
