Rooney To Real Madrid? Morata To Arsenal? – From Real Madrid’s Point Of View

Rooney to Real Madrid?

Manchester United striker Wayne Rooney has 18 months remaining on his contract and is increasingly being linked with a move away from Manchester. Spanish giants Real Madrid have been linked with a move for the Englishman, and they would reportedly prefer to wait for the summer to swoop in and sign him on the cheap. While Real Madrid are on the look-out for a striker, a move for the 28-year old may not be the best option for Los Blancos.

Rooney has been playing in the hole behind the center forward, and this is where his best performances of late have come. Even though he gets goals on a regular basis, he is not the out-and-out striker that Madrid so desperately need. While Rooney would undoubtedly adapt to the style of football, his starting position is a bit too deep for him to be the ideal solution at the Bernabeu.

 

That being said, the 28-year old has the ability, both mental and skills, to make the most of the opportunity should it come his way. He would undoubtedly relish the chance to link up with Cristiano Ronaldo once again, and with Ronaldo and Bale playing as wing forwards, Rooney may just fit in the side as a false-9 in a role similar to the one played by Lionel Messi at Barcelona, where he’ll have the freedom to control the game.

At Real, a similar role is performed by Isco, who generally is the bridge between midfield and attack. Rooney dropping deeper to get involved in the build-up play may end up crowding the area just outside the box with no one in the box to finish off the move. Rooney is not a poacher and is ideally more of a support striker, and with him in the side, Madrid will need to play another striker, reverting to a sort of 4-2-4 formation. Manager Carlo Ancelotti may not like this solution, and any move for Rooney will have to be made keeping this in mind.

Analysis on Morata transfer on next page…

Alvaro Morata to Arsenal?

Alvaro Morata has been linked with a loan move to Arsenal, and while this would be a great chance for Morata to get some valuable minutes under his belt, selling him would be a very bad move on the part of Real Madrid. The 21-year old has the ability to play as a striker or on the wings, and was part of the U21 Euro winning Spanish side earlier this summer, and will be an asset for Madrid in the long term.

Madrid are currently trailing the leaders Barcelona and Atletico Madrid by 5 points, and squad depth will be important once Champions League resumes. Allowing Morata to leave on without finding an adequate replacement may jeopardize Madrid’s chances of winning a trophy this season. He, along with fellow Castilla graduate Jese, have an important role to play as squad players, and Morata will get playing time in the Copa del Rey. While it may not be enough for the young striker, it will have to do unless Madrid sign another striker in January.

Carlo Ancelotti will undoubtedly wait till the summer to make a big-money move for a world-class striker, and has stated that no player would be allowed to leave in January. Wayne Rooney could indeed end up in Madrid in the summer, but selling the youngster to fund the deal would be a mistake. Instead, loaning him out for next season would ensure that he gets the minutes he needs to continue his development.