Coentrao: Agreement between Benfica and Real Madrid

The signing of Coentrao that seemed stalled a week ago, was revived yesterday after the trip of the left side and Benfica president Luis Filipe Vieira to Madrid, and seems imminent. Real Madrid and Benfica have approached positions this morning in the negotiation and the signing can be confirmed in the coming hours. In fact, Portugal take for granted the transfer of the player to the white team. Daily 'A Bola' has titled: "Coentrao already a player of Real Madrid", although there is no official confirmation from both clubs.

According to the Portuguese newspaper, Coentrao would have already signed the contract for the next five seasons with the white club. Does not disclose the economic quantities of the transfer but the operation would include the Argentine central defender Ezequiel Garay. In the negotiation are present: Florentino Perez, Real Madrid president, Luis Filipe Vieira, president of Benfica, Jose Angel Sanchez, general manager of Real Madrid, Jorge Mendes, Fabio Coentrao's agent and the player himself.

The incorporation of Coentrao ends one of the first 'soap operas' of the football summer. Following the great interest of Chelsea and problems with coach Jorge Jesus, it seems that the player can make his dream of playing for Real Madrid, with his friends Carvalho, Cristiano, Pepe and his favorite coach, Jose Mourinho.

Fabio Coentrao in Madrid

Coentrao does not travel to Switzerland with Benfica

Fabio Coentrao has not traveled to the preseason stage of Benfica in Nyon (Switzerland), according to the daily 'Record'. Benfica's workforce traveled at 11.30 to Switzerland, where they will make ​​a training stage for 13 days, without the Portuguese international. Coentrao will continue training in Lisbon, after finished last season he made ​​public his desire to leave Benfica and sign for Real Madrid and working with his compatriot Jose Mourinho.

Fabio Coentrao

Coentrao and his agents believe that this week will be crucial to a deal that takes around since May. All hopes are set on Mourinho, to unclog the operation of his coming to Real Madrid and can be incorporated to the white team as soon as possible. Coentrao is optimistic and does not rule to arrive on July 11 in Valdebebas and travel to Los Angeles.

Coentrao is uncomfortable training with Benfica when it looks that soon will be with Mourinho. Even on Sunday, a Portuguese newspaper reported a clash between Coentrao and Benfica coach, which related to the player's desire to force his departure from Benfica. According to 'Correio da Manha', the left side was involved in a dialectical clash with his coach, Jorge Jesus, in the last training and the player was ejected.

In addition, Chelsea would have improved its offer for Coentrao, adding the Serb Slobodan Rajkovic to the offer of 30 million euro that had already made. Rajkovic is a central defender whose market valuation is about 2.5 million euro, and has been loaned successively at OFK Belgrade, PSV, Twente and Vitesse.

Nuri Sahin: 100 balls and 10 million euro

Meinerzhagen is a town of 22,000 people, located in the west of North Rhine-Westphalia, where Nuri Sahin (1988) grew with his parents and brother, Ufuk. During the harsh winter, while German children dreamed of jump off the ski jump of the town (38-meter ramp), Nuri had eyes only for football. He arrived at his first team, Meinerzhagen RSV 1921, at six years old, a club which currently has 14 teams.

The club president Winfried Hösel, keeps a photo of 1998 when the Real Madrid player was wearing the blue shirt of RSV Meinerzhagen: "We have no trophy room, but in the bar along with several scarfs, flags and medals we look with pride the photo that Nuri Sahin signed to us some years ago", recounts Hösel.

Mr. Maikranz and Nuri Sahin

His first coach was Mr. Maikranz who is still working in the club: "From day one I knew he would play in the best teams! He was always the best in all categories. The pain came when Borussia signed him. We get 100 balls and a lot of jerseys", he recalls. Sahin played from 1994 to 2001 in the RSV Meinerzhagen until he signed for Borussia. Just four years later, the Turkish-German became the youngest player to debut in the Bundesliga with 16 years and 335 days.

Ufuk Sahin (1986) is the older brother of Nuri and plays in the first team of Meinerzhagen: "When we were kids, he was the star of my team, despite being younger than us. I hope the same will happen in the Real Madrid". Real Madrid paid 10 million euros.

Chelsea wants to sign Pepe

Andre Villas-Boas wants to repeat at Chelsea his spectacular first year at Porto, with which he won three titles. He is designing his template and has more than enough millions euros to do it. Wants the best from each team, and has set his sights on the Real Madrid defender. He wants to sign Pepe right now, for playing in the defense and as midfielder. He wants Pepe becomes the strong man of the English team and is willing to pay the high salary that Real Madrid has been denying to the player for months.

When last season ended, Pepe left with practically closed renewal (four years and four million net per season) but in the absence of signature, as himself confirmed in an interview. Abrahamovich is willing to offer 5 million euro annually that the player requested at the beggining of negotiations to renew with Real Madrid, with a five seasons contract period.

Pepe

Note: Pablo Sarabia signs for Getafe

Real Madrid has officially announced the departure of Pablo Sarabia. In a brief statement the white club reports that has reached an agreement for the transfer with Getafe, and reserves the right to buy back the player.

Pablo Sarabia

It was an open secret for some days that Getafe would be the new destination of one of the most promising jewels of the 'Factory' in recent years. Last Friday Spanish media reported a preliminary agreement by which the player would be 'Blue' in exchange for three million euros, although the white club, as is the practice with the most promising youth players, saves the option of buy back.

This sale has already been under the direct supervision of Mourinho, as manager of the youth squads, and though the Portuguese at first wanted that Sarabia plays for a team that allows him to play many minutes and play European competition this season, has finally agreed to the desire of the player; to stay in the capital of Spain.

Note: Audi interested in the Real Madrid transfers

Audi wants to know the names of the players who will not follow in the team next season to ask them to give back their cars. The car brand is a sponsor of both Barcelona and Real Madrid. In recent days, the heads of Audi who work with two teams, have asked the white team the name of players who leave the workforce of Jose Mourinho.

They do not pretend to know the names of the news that are pursued in all the newsrooms of the media these days, with almost the same zeal that the names of the signings. The Audi people need to know the names so that those who are going to play in other teams can return the car that the German brand gives them during a season: 25 players and 3 managers (Total: 28 cars). As expected, Real Madrid could not give the names of players who will leave the team before 31 August. And neither can give, yet, the names of star signings.

Cristiano Ronaldo with a blue Audi RS5

David Beckham could miss the match against Real Madrid

The former Real Madrid player, David Beckham, currently playing in Los Angeles Galaxy, may be the big absence of the match between both teams the next day 16 in California, which will be the first test of the preseason for the Jose Mourinho's template. The Englishman suffers back problems that prevent him from being in good physical and will miss the game against the Seattle Sounders on Monday (Major League Soccer).

Beckham could miss the match against Real Madrid

Beckham, last 'Galactic' of the Florentino Perez's first period, spends his last days as a professional footballer in the Major League Soccer, away from the high demands of the Premier League, Serie A and Spanish League competitions where he played during his best years in Europe. "I hate does not play games and I hate to miss practice. They are being really horrible few weeks", said the midfielder after yesterday training.

"This is a stress fracture in the spine. I have done a lot of rehabilitation the past two weeks and I hope to recover well", said Beckham who still hopes to participate with his peers in the match against Real Madrid.