Zinedine Zidane at Odds With Real Madrid Over Lack of New Striker
By Tom Gott
Real Madrid manager Zinedine Zidane has grown frustrated with the club's refusal to sanction a move for a new striker this summer.
Zidane has no problem with current striker Karim Benzema, but it is the lack of depth behind the Frenchman which has proven problematic. The boss is not convinced by either Luka Jović or Borja Mayoral - a standpoint made clear as he left the duo on the bench in favour of two academy youngsters in Sunday's 0-0 draw with Real Sociedad.
Zidane's decision to turn to young wingers Marvin Park and Sergio Arribas has been viewed by many as a sort of protest against Real's refusal to make any new signings this summer. According to AS, it's a touchy subject at the Santiago Bernabéu.
President Florentino Pérez hopes to save money to fund pursuits of Paris Saint-Germain's Kylian Mbappé and Borussia Dortmund's Erling Haaland next year, but Zidane fears that a lack of action in the transfer market this summer could cost his team dearly on the pitch.
It is believed that somewhat of a compromise has been reached and Real are now looking for free transfers or loans. Roma's Edin Džeko is on the radar, as is Galatasaray's Radamel Falcao, but one player who has generated a fair bit of noise is former PSG striker Edinson Cavani.
Marca note that a 'well-known intermediary' has offered Cavani to Real, and the idea of signing the Uruguayan has been discussed at great length.
The main problem with pursuing this deal is Cavani's salary. He is expected to demand close to €7m a year, which is hardly ideal for a team who are trying to save every penny possible this summer.
One way of financing the deal could be to offload Jović. Agencia EFE state that the Serb is keen to seal a return to German side Eintracht Frankfurt on loan, which would free up a little bit of extra money to pursue an alternative.
Frankfurt are said to be aware of Jović's plans and hope to put something in place soon, and Zidane would be happy to see the 24-year-old leave to try and rediscover his best form.
Real see Cavani as the dream replacement, having been hugely impressed with his goalscoring record with both PSG and Napoli, but the only thing standing in the way of this deal is money.