According to reports from Mirror Football this morning, Rafa Benitez plans to build his Real Madrid side around Gareth Bale if he takes the Bernabeu hot seat this summer.
It’s been a difficult season for the Welsh wizard in the Spanish capital, despite netting 17 times in all competitions, with significant portions of the Los Blancos fan base seemingly turning against him.
That’s lead to a plethora of tabloid speculation regarding a return to the Premier League this summer. As reported by This Is Futbol earlier this month, it was claimed Real Madrid would accept a record-breaking bid for their £87million acquisition, with Chelsea and Manchester United amongst the likeliest candidates for his signature.
But the unexpected emergence of Rafa Benitez as Carlo Ancelotti’s successor in the Bernabeu dugout could bring an abrupt end to rumours of a lucrative return to the top flight.
According to Mirror Football, the former Liverpool and Chelsea gaffer intends to build the Real Madrid starting XI around the Wales forward by recreating the central attacking role that saw him net 26 times during his ultimate campaign at Tottenham Hotspur.
Those plans are understood to have impressed Real Madrid president Florentino Perez and – according to Ancelotti’s agent Ernesto Bronzetti – made Benitez’s appointment ‘99%’ certain.
Good news to United..no more Bale but we should try keep Di Maria no matter what
Wit my 23yrs experience as a real madrid fan I’ve seen great coaches and flashy but nothing 2 offer coaches @ Madrid, i can say benitez doesn’t appeal 2 me as the real deal 4 the madrid hot seat. I classify his quality among the flashy group and i don’t support his appointment as Carlos successor.
let’s see if benitez can surprise us ,if not he is not qualified , but because he is a Spaniard and a former youth coach.