Real Madrid sign Kiko Casilla from Espanyol

 

Kiko Casilla replaces San Iker Casillas

Deal said to be worth $6.5 millions

Real Madrid have agreed terms on the transfer of Kiko Casilla of Espanyol and the Spaniard completes medical.

The first offer made by Whites' was rebuffed after Espanyol said that wanted $6.5 millions instead of the $4.3 millions. However, the second offer was made and Espanyol let him leave.

Casilla is also the replacement for long-time player and skipper Casillas who moved to Porto. The signing is Real Madrid's third this season after Danilo and Lucas Vazquez.

Casilla  had a good season like Vazquez in Espanyol and will compete for a place with Keylor Navas.

He has good reflexes and positioning and for handling aerial balls. 

Thank You Iker !!! A Tribute Article to the Legend

 

With our captain set for Porto, I make one last tribute for Iker.

The hands that saved Madrid for the past 25 years has finally said goodbye.

Every story has an end. Even our soul comes to peace at last. And so does Casillas fairytale at Madrid. The club icon since 1990 has said his last words yesterday and today it is the first day of life for all Madridistas without San Iker.

Casillas deserves a lot of respect and he is one of the most humble persons the sport has ever seen. And moreover, the best goalkeeper the world had ever witnessed. Like Xavi said, "When all hopes are gone, Iker suddenly appears and saves you".

And it has been like that for the past 16 years in Santiago Bernabeau. Every moment when you think it's all over, Casillas appears at 7/3 post and gives you a lifeline. When you mess up again, he gives another lifeline.

There are a lot of justifications for Xavi's claims. One was during the WC10' final in which Casillas produced the most important save in world history by tucking a Robben shot with his legs. That moment gave Spain the chance to go on and win the final.

And in the 2002 Champions League final, a game in which Zidane struck a wonderful volley-winner, Casillas came off the bench for injured Cesar Sanchez and made a number off historic saves. Two years before the final, Casillas became the youngest player ever to play in a Champions League final against Valencia which Real won 3-0.

Since then, it was all an era of world's best goalkeeper. Casillas clinched his Real's 31st La Liga in 2007-08 and was awarded the Zamora trophy. However, Madrid failed to clinch a silverware next season as Barcelona grabbed a sextuple in 2009.

That year saw Cristiano Ronaldo and Kaka arrive at Real Madrid. Another season without glory passed and Casillas still was short of domestic cup glory. But during 2010-2011, Raul and Guti left the club and the captaincy was handed to Iker.

And then, he turned out from a goalkeeper to a leader.

                                                "When all hopes are gone, Iker suddenly                                                                                                              appears and saves you"- Xavi

And finally, his 11-year wait for Copa triumph was ended when Cristiano Ronaldo scored a terrific header to down Barcelona. The new season saw Jose Mourinho's side lose to the Catalans in Super Coppa but it was just the beginning of success. 

Real Madrid and Casillas became the first team to reach 100 points in the league and definetely, the skipper was an essential part of the club. But 2013 proved to be a turning point in Casillas' career. 

He was injured after getting kicked in his finger by fellow man Arbeloa. That meant Casillas was out for three months and Mourinho bought Diego Lopez from Sevilla. Lopez continued to hit the peak and even after recovering from injury, Casillas was benched. He fell out with Mourinho and was even snubbed in the Portugese' last match as head coach of Real Madrid.

Months after Mourinho's deparure, Ancelotti arrived and he found a new way to sort out things. He used Lopez for league matches and Iker for cup rounds. And the season witnessed Casillas' and Real Madrid's best season in the decade. They clinched the prolong 'La Decima' though Casillas blundered in the final. And his second Copa del Rey was delivered when Gareth Bale scored the most memorable goal in the tournament.

2014-2015, the most recently finished season, wasn't good for Casillas at all. He was booed simultaneously by his own fans and endured another trophyless season. 

Meanwhile, with Spain, Casillas is the most capped player with 162 appearances and led the team to a hattrick of tournament glory from 2008-2012. The six years saw Spain win all the Euro 08', WC10' and Euro 12'. But he was snubbed recently after a poor run of performances with Spain in which the defending champions crashed out of WC 14'Group Stage.

But after all, Casillas has stepped down after serving from the age of 9. He has done a lot to the club and of course, it would never be the same Iker without the Real Madrid crest. And this isn't a departure Iker!!. 

Hoping you soon. Good Luck Captain and Long Live Iker. You are always welcome at Santiago Bernabeau!!!!

THANK U 4 ALL THE GUD MOMENTS

'LA DECIMA'

CHAMPIONS LEAGUE FINAL 14'

AND LAST FAREWELL SPEECH

SOME FACTS:

• One of the three goalkeepers to win all the major tournaments played
• 'Best Goalkeeper of the Year Award' five times winner
• Zamora Trophy Winner

CAREER STATISTICS AND HONOURS:

• 25 years. One club: Real Madrid
• 725 appeareances in Real Madrid crest
• 162 caps for Spain
• 5 La Liga
• 3 Champions League
• 2 Copa del Rey
• 2 UEFA Super Cup
• 1 Club World Cup
• 1 World Cup
• 2 European Championship

                                                                  GRACIES SAN IKER CASILLAS!!!

Real Madrid sign Lucas Vazquez

 

Lucas Vazquez rejoined Madrid this season

Spaniard is Benitez's first signing for Real Madrid

Real Madrid have bought back Lucas Vazquez from Espanyol. The 24-year-old is a product of 'La Fabrica'-the youth academy of Real Madrid.

The winger was offloaded to the Catalans last season in a buy-back deal that would bring him back to Madrid after a good season.

Vazquez signed at a cost of 1 million euros for a five-year deal. Real Madrid stated,"Real Madrid C.F. has exercised their buy-back contract rights over Lucas Vazquez in the existing agreement with RCD Espanyol. The player will remain linked to our club for the next five seasons".

Vazquez joined Madrid at the age of 15 but was out of favour when Ancelotti stepped in. He joined Espanyol last season and had a spectacular season forcing Benitez to re-sign him.

Vazquez is a defensive winger who can adapt to Benitez's style. He is got a really good pace and skills and works extremely hard during the match. He retains the ball well and provides a support to the backline. Moreover, he is a product of La Fabrica and knows the team well.

Lucas has all the qualities of a defender and do step-over-rolls and elasticos. He has a reasonably good ability in clearing air balls and has scored three goals last term.

However, he must compete with world's best players for a place in the first team.

Click the link below to watch Lucas Vazquez:

                                                    Lucas Vazquez

Five best signings Real Madrid can do this summer

 

With the transfer window at grabs, We take a look at five best signings for Rafa Benitez

Ramos may leave this summer and the most suitable replacement is an Argentine.

The transfer window is wide open and its full of cash and competition now to bring world's finest footballers to their respective clubs. And a team like Real Madrid are never bad during these days and they look to bring the world's best to the city. 

The last decade saw the likes of Zidane, Figo, Ronaldo Nazario de Lima, David Beckham and Roberto Carlos all play in the Whites' shirt. The new generation is enjoying Cristiano Ronaldo, Gareth Bale, James Rodriguez, Kaka, Ozil and Toni Kroos.

Meanwhile, this summer is more special in case Sergio Ramos leaves. So, Rafa Benitez must buy some of the below to fix the team.

                                                             BERND LENO

  

A good replacement and a competitor for club icon Casillas. David De Gea was the favourite but Manchester United recently said 'No' to a Spanish journalist. Since Madrid said it would go with 'Plan B' and Leno has been their target.

Bernd Leno is a better replacement De Gea because too many high-profile players in a single team affects the morality. On the other hand, Leno is quite a good boy at the dressing room and he has got great reflexes. 

The only thing that could prevent him from transferring to Madrid is his fame. This guy is highly underrated. He is actually the second best in Bundesliga. Some of his memorable performances this season are against Atletico Madrid and Bayern Munchen.

It is also good to watch and analyse player before buying him. So here you go:

                                                         Bernd Leno Best Saves

                                                 DAVID DE GEA

 

David De Gea (called David De Heeyae) is the ultimate transfer target this season. The Spaniard had turned into world's best under LVG and is set to leave this summer. However, he has refused to extend his contract that runs out next season. If he becomes a free agent, then Real Madrid will have him.

Meanwhile, Manchester United have come up with a deal that would see a swap between Ramos and De Gea. But the deal is largely refused and United's all offers are rebuffed until an offer of around 65 million pound sterling is made. 

The Red Army has also warned that if they are told to pay big on Ramos, then De Gea will be sold as world's highest-paid goalkeeper.

De Gea had his best season in 2014-2015 and he is the key to United's top four finish. His ability in shot stopping, handling and reflexes has made him one of world's current best. The most memorable performance was against four English giants: Liverpool, Man City, Chelsea, Arsenal and Everton.

Watch amazing saves of David De Gea at:

                                                   David De Gea: Thank You for Fabulous Saves

                                                  AYMERIC LAPORTE

 

The young French is so underrated but is linked with Manchester United. He isn't under Perez's radar but this 21-year-old would be one for the future.

Though Athletic Bilbao fell out this season, this guy was still remarkable. He had a spectacular time against Real Madrid last couple of seasons and is a good replacement for Ramos if the Spaniard leaves.

He is well-loved by San Memes and is famous for his heading skills. Laporte has an impressive heading record and an excellent tackling ability. He is also a good last-man and surely his move to United will only make them better.

But the only thing he gets differenciated from Ramos is that he lacks the leadership skills the Spaniard possess. And since he isn't under Real's sight, it would be highly unlikely to see him at Santiago Bernabeau next season. 

But if I was given Perez duty, then I would have made the deal just because of his skills and moreover, age. Aymeric Laporte:

                                          Aymeric Laporte Skills

                                          Aymeric Laporte - Goals and Skills - 2014-2015

                                               NICOLAS OTAMENDI

 

'The Wall With A Beard'. Surely, the best defender this season in La Liga. Otamendi has grown big this season and is responsible for Valencia's progress to Champions League after two long years.

The defender is Manchester United's-who wants all the players in the world-top target. He also tops Real Madrid's centre-back wishlist if Ramos leaves.

Talking of him, Otamendi has displayed beautiful football with Valencia and grabbed up six MOTM awards, the highest for any defender in La Liga this season. He is also excellent when it comes to defending and wins most of the aerial duels like Ramos.

His sliding tackles are clueless and it is impossible to get rid of them. And he is famous for shutting down the two leaders of football: Ronaldo and Messi. The other cannibals in his list include Neymar, Suarez, Bale and Benzema. This guy is also chosen as La Liga Best Defender of the Season by WhoScored.com.

Nicolas Otamendi has good feat in delivering long balls, something that Ramos lack. He is a good leader like the Spaniard and the most memorable performance was with the two best teams in the world: FC Barcelona and Real Madrid CF.

He scores goals and that shows his goodness in attack. And moreover, he scored 6 goals this season compared to Ramos 4 and five of them with headers from corners and free-kicks and one with a low shot.

And who else would forget his header against Madrid in Mestalla after he leaped higher than Ramos to end the 22-game-winning streak. Above all, the beard. It is something more feary than a verbal talk.

Definetely, this guy is the most suitable replacement for Sergio Ramos. If you search on Youtube, you will get lots on him. Some of his best performances are:
                                                 Nicolas Otamendi vs Real Madrid 2015
                                                 Nicolas Otamendi vs Barcelona
                                                 Nicolas Otamendi Crazy Defensive Skills

                                                SERGIO "KUN" AGUERO

The deal of the year. Real Madrid will make an another historic move by completing the signing of Manchester City and Argentine striker Sergio Aguero. The deal would be their highest this year.

But it would cost around 90 million euros for the Argentine to bring him to Spain next season. However, Perez is famous for big money moves with six of world's ten top transfers under his name. This include Bale, Ronaldo and James who conquer the top-three respectively alongwith Zidane, Kaka and Luis Figo.

Aguero's return to Madrid after he left Atleti to join the BPL giants would make him the third highest paid player in the team. Meanwhile, Aguero is a must wanted deal to replace Benzema who was poor last season and is on his way to Arsenal this summer.

And Aguero with Ronaldo and Bale would be amazing to watch and they could bring back their EPL stunners to Spain.

Statistically, Aguero is the top scorer in Premier League and has turned into a lethal striker last season. His 22 goals for city for City has helped them to finish second in the league behind Chelsea. He has a better finishing skill than Benzema and reads the game well.

The Argentine is compared to Luis Suarez and his importance in Madrid right now will motivate his move. Moreover, the fans want him but at present, Aguero is in Chile playing with Argentina who are through to the finals and face the hosts this Saturday. Some of his best clips are:
                                                Sergio Aguero All goals and Assists
                                                Sergio Aguero Goals and Skills
Thanks for reading.