Kun Agüero is the most repeated name in the top echelons of the Bernabéu club offices. Even more so with his performances for Argentina in the Copa América. He’s the only player they feel who has the ‘Galáctico’ cache and who can stem the wave of titles away from the Catalan capital. Barça are on course to convert their treble into a sextuple (as they achieved in 2009 when Florentino returned for his second spell at the club). He signed Cristiano, Kaká and Benzema. “We need to win all three titles one year”, explained Perez. Six years later, the situation repeats itself with Barça winning the Copa del Rey, La Liga title and the Champions League. Florentino is determined to address the problem and has already spent €57,7 million on 2015 signings; Danilo (30), Lucas Silva (14), Casemiro (7,5), Marco Asensio (3,9) and Odegaard (2,3).
The Real Madrid president feels that the new project needs added impulse apart from the sporting change that new coach Rafa Benitez is expected to oversee. He feels that playing Cristiano as a ‘9’ or Bale on the left wing are minor details. Perez, feels that a player such as Agüero would inject a fresh dose of optimism into the Real Madrid fans who are still unhappy at a trophy-less season and an overall balance of 4 major titles from a possible 18 in the last six years (only major trophies). He’s also seen that the Casillas episode is not helping the club irrespective of how good a replacement David de Gea may be.
However, there is a finite amount the club can spend. Agüero’s signature would cost at least €60 million (he has a contract with city that runs through to 2019), and the club have already parted with nearly 60 million euro already in 2015. David de Gea has yet to be signed and paid for. These outlays would force Madrid into selling to maintain the budgets imposed and this is when the names of Benzema and Coentrao appear. Aguero stated from Chile: “I’m very happy at City”. A strategy perhaps?