Inside Spain is a weekly instalment brought to you by Football España, providing an insight into all of the major stories coming out of the rich and intense climes of La Liga and beyond.
Barcelona and Real Madrid are engaged in a constant game of one-upmanship, and Los Blancos came out on top. The two went to battle of Arda Guler, the 18-year-old Turkish Messi, and Real Madrid have themselves a gem.
The Blaugrana were supposedly confident of a deal last week until an offer from Real Madrid blew them out of the water. Including commissions, the deal could reach €45m for Real Madrid – Barcelona President Joan Laporta saltily claimed they didn’t think it was worth for those figures.
Unfortunately for them, it looks as if he might be. Guler’s magical goal in training is just one of a number of quite sublime touches he has shown in training. It is only training, but for an 18-year-old going into Real Madrid, he has shown remarkable confidence, usurping even Jude Bellingham in the news cycle.
Luckily for Laporta, Barcelona did have something up their sleeve to turn the news cycle. Vitor Roque, ‘The Tiger’, has committed his future to the club until 2031 on a seven-year deal. The initial fee is ‘only’ €30m, but it could rise to €61m if the bonuses are met. Aren’t they struggling to sign players? Roque in theory won’t join until 2024, when they can fit him into their salary limit.
? ? ?
? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?
? ? ? ? ? ? ? pic.twitter.com/ttHvYSOLrU— FC Barcelona (@FCBarcelona) July 12, 2023
Athletic Club defender Inigo Martinez has joined Barcelona on a free too, and they are now negotiating to sign former Chelsea and Southampton midfielder Oriol Romeu from Girona as their Sergio Busquets replacement. None have attracted as much attention as Lionel Messi’s knees, in a photo posted from his new home in Miami.
Meanwhile Kylian Mbappe continues to dominate headlines and talk shows. It’s beginning to feel as if Real Madrid are waiting for Godot, but they will wait until next summer if they have to. Paris Saint-Germain want him out (unless he U-turns and renews his contract), Real Madrid don’t wnat to spend ‘too’ much, and Kylian Mbappe wants to maximise his income. Who blinks first is now a six-week long question.
Meanwhile Barcelona and Tottenham Hotspur are negaged in a slightly less interested version of the same thing for Clement Lenglet. Atletico Madrid need to sell to sign now, but if they can see Renan Lodi and Joao Felix leave, then their top target is Spurs midfielder Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg.
