The giants across Europe were throwing money around like Floyd Mayweather on a night out, over the summer as they all looked to secure their ‘marquee’ signings. Luis Suarez to Barcelona, James Rodriguez to Real Madrid and Angel Di Maria to Manchester United were the three most expensive. However, Bayern Munich, in my eyes, just might have made the best capture of the season, and for free. Gratis. Step forward, the great Xabi Alonso.
I think Real Madrid, this year, in particular have become somewhat obsessed with this marquee signing that everyone in the media bangs on about. They watched Barcelona move for their man, Suarez, and thought they had to do something to appease their fans. Show them that the Galacticos could still compete with the best in the transfer market and bring in the man whose name was on everyone’s lips after his stunning goals and golden boot success in the World Cup. Rodriguez was signed for £63 million and to fund this, they drafted Angel Di Maria out to Manchester United for a similar price. Di Maria could be a miss for Madrid after he provided 17 assists for the Spanish Giants last term.
Toni Kroos was also signed from Bayern Munich for a fee of £20 million after the German World Cup winner put on some sublime performances in the middle of the park in Brazil. He has started off life in the white shirt where he left off, at the World Cup, having the best pass accuracy rate this season in La Liga at 92.38%. An amazing stat, however, I can’t help but think how good Real Madrid’s midfield would have been with the man they let go: Xabi Alonso, alongside him.
Madrid manager, Carlo Ancelotti, has tinkered with two and three holding midfielders this season, but the injury to Sami Khedera has left him with the decision to play Luca Modric in the middle with new boy Kroos.
Meanwhile over in Germany, where Kroos handed his notice in to come to the Bernebeu, Bayern Munich sit top of the Bundesliga after seven games. Xabi Alonso has started in five of them and in them games he is already showing the German top flight a midfield master class with some absolutely blinding statistics.
The Spaniard managed to smash a Bundesliga record with 216 touches in the recent game against FC Koln, completing another record of 185 passes in the same match. This was the most by any player, in any game, in the top five European Leagues since 2005. The 185 passes by him was more than the entire opposition managed all game. If your jaw is till wide open at reading these breath-taking statistic’s, they peak at the fact that, it means the Bayern number three, took a touch of the ball once every 26 seconds.
What does this mean to the two respective clubs involved in the Alonso transfer deal? Well Bayern are getting along fine with things over in Bavaria, and in Xabi Alonso, will have a man who can drive them on domestically and in Europe with his passing and experience. Madrid, on the other hand, are under pressure to win trophies domestically and retain their Champions League crown. They have won five and drawn two of their first seven games in La Liga and sit four points off leaders Barcelona, with Luis Suarez coming back soon to add extra bite to the Barca attack. Madrid have had two wins from two in their Champions League campaign, but they have only kept two clean sheets In Europe in their last 14 games.
Ball retention could be what is needed for Madrid to win trophies this year as well as the obvious stat of putting it in the back of the net, which they have Ronaldo, Benzema and Bale and so on, to deal with that. Bayern on the other hand have no worries on the ball retention front, their 32 year old, free summer signing will see to that, and more than likely will go on beating records as well – his own records.