Transfer battle

Real Madrid and Barcelona fight like giants in each field in which they coincide. On the green, at the brand level and also in the transfer market. The last duel in this regard is marked by a name: Kylian Mbappé. Madrid tried to close it last summer, but could not; now Barcelona is entangled in the face of 2022. A name that joins two other names that already starred last year: Erling Braut Haaland and David Alaba.

The Austrian entered the orbit of Barcelona with the arrival of Joan Laporta (he had a meeting with his agent as reported by AS), while Real Madrid also moved to complement a defense in which it was already beginning to glimpse that they would not continue Ramos and Varane. And with Haaland there was, and is, there is a galactic duel.

The Norwegian, with Mbappé, seems headed to be the new occupant of the throne of world football and Real Madrid and Barcelona fight for him against both Manchester clubs and a Chelsea, which starts at a considerable disadvantage. The whites are the best placed in this race today due to their relations with Dortmund and Raiola’s interest in opening a business path at the Bernabéu. Also, for every signal Haaland throws in favor of the whites.

The race has begun and will leave chapters and chapters until resolved. It is not the first, nor the last. Indeed, AS has already reported that Rüdiger and Kessié are also on both clubs’ radar and may star in another clash next summer. The market is a ring for both giants, who have already fought for other stars on previous occasions.

Two stars from Brazil

Neymar Jr was, possibly, the last great star that Real Madrid and Barcelona fought for in the transfer market. The then Santos player had come to try as a young man in the white quarry and Real Madrid had been working on his signing. In the last stages, a problem with the ownership of the player’s rights complicated the operation. Barcelona launched and took over the Brazilian, with whom they have ended up in court in up to three ‘Neymar cases’. Also, yes, it led them to numerous successes, highlighting the Champions League and a notable dominance in LaLiga with MSN.

At certain times in Paris, Neymar looked for a possible return to Barcelona and Real Madrid also came up as an option. It never happened and now, Neymar is close to renewing with the Parisians.

Another case related to a Brazilian star was that of Dani Alves. The most successful player in history was really close to the whites, but ended up in Barcelona. The Brazilian threw several hooks to Real Madrid when in 2007, he thought that his time at Sevilla was over. He stayed one more year and Real Madrid seemed to be ahead in the race, but Barcelona ended up signing him for 30 million euros. He won everything and more like culé, although his departure was complicated.

Two duels for the goal

David Villa was really close to being a Real Madrid player. The Spaniard, at that time in Valencia, entered among the plans to reinforce the whites in the summer of 2008 and 2009. In a documentary broadcast on Channel 9 that first summer, Cazorla, who was also close, and Casillas talked about a possible arrival of ‘El Guaje’. At the time, with everything agreed, Valencia asked for more money and Real Madrid withdrew, planting itself in the 40 million euros.

The Asturian renewed and Real Madrid tried again in 2009. In the end, he decided on Karim Benzema. In 2010, Barcelona would take Villa for, coincidentally, 40 million euros. There he would win Leagues, Champions … but a serious injury in the Mundialito conditioned his stage. He ended up going to Atlético de Madrid, with whom LaLiga won at the Camp Nou.

A similar situation was experienced with Luis Suárez. Both clubs were interested in the summer of 2014 but it was Barcelona that ended up with their signing for more than 81 million euros. Together with Neymar and Messi he formed the MSN and they won the Champions League that same season. Real Madrid ended up bringing Chicharito on loan and had Benzema and two promising young men: RDT and Borja Mayoral, who were not in their twenties.

The most galactic of the galactics

Same rivals, but several years ago. The summer of 2003, United came to announce on their website the signing of David Beckham by FC Barcelona if now president Joan Laporta won the elections. Real Madrid, also in the negotiation, ended up closing it before for less than 40 million euros. By not signing Beckham, Barcelona went after Ronaldinho, a player who ended up dominating football in the following years.

English was the culmination of ‘Los Galacticos’. Although his footballing stage was by no means negligible, becoming key in the final stretch of the last League won with Fabio Capello, he is remembered more on many occasions for his return in notoriety, economics and advertising. The dominance over green, yes, it was ‘Ronnie’.

The ‘next gen’: Ceballos, Vinicius, Theo …

The last duels in the market were for Theo and Dani Ceballos, two players that Real Madrid took and they did not quite fit in. The Frenchman returned to Atlético from his assignment at Alavés as a revelation winger for LaLiga and Real Madrid and Barcelona went to the fight. The whites ended up convincing him, although Barcelona put on the table a better contractual offer and even the possible departure of Jordi Alba to give him the Camp Nou band.

The full-back never offered his best level in Madrid and in July 2019 he signed for Milan, where he is uncovering as the expected footballer. “The best thing for me and for Achraf was to leave Real Madrid,” he said recently.

That same summer, the same happened with Ceballos. The Utreran emerged as a notable midfielder at Betis. Real Madrid, European champion with Modric, Kroos and Casemiro in the center, saw him as a relief and thought of signing him and leaving him on loan at Heliópolis. Barcelona got into the signing and made a place in the first team available. The whites, to prevent Dani from changing plans, raised their offer above the clause and gave him his place in the squad. He did not fit in with Zidane. With a contract until 2023, he is on loan to Arsenal.

Vinicius is the third case. Barcelona prepared his signing with care since he was 15 years old. Messages from Neymar, a visit to La Masía … His offer to Flamengo was 25 million euros. Madrid put 45 and Vinicius accepted. He was on loan and now he’s trying to exploit his talent in white. The winger, moreover, does not doubt how much he has the opportunity to show how ‘in love’ he is with Real Madrid with statements and even kissing the shield.

The first fight for the first big star

The first battle on the market between Real Madrid and Barcelona was for Alfredo Di Stéfano. The Argentine was signed by Barcelona from River Plate, but the forward turned out not to be from River, since his rights were owned by Millonarios de Bogotá, from whom he escaped, as stipulated by FIFA. Di Stéfano, at that time in Barcelona, ​​was at the wing. The blaugranas did not reach an agreement with the Colombians but they did, Real Madrid. Thus, with the same player signed by the two but to different clubs, FIFA ended up mediating at the request of the Federation. They decided that Di Stéfano should play two seasons at Barcelona and two at Real Madrid.

The president of Barcelona, ​​Martí i Carreto was not delighted with the signing and in the previous one of a Real Madrid-Barcelona, ​​Barça ended the case by selling the rights it acquired to River to Real Madrid for a total of 4.4 million euros pesetas. The player signed in the morning and that afternoon, he scored two goals for his ‘old’ club. Di Stéfano changed white history by being the leader of a team that won eight Leagues, five European Cups, one Cup, one Intercontinental and two Latin Cups. He was also a coach and honorary president of the club. The white Caption, in capital letters.