Real Madrid spend €39 million to land Illarramendi

Real Madrid’s summer policy of recruiting with one eye on the future continued yesterday as they pushed through a move for Real Sociedad midfielder Asier Illarramendi.

After failing to negotiate a fee with the San Sebastian club for the Spain Under-21 international, Madrid put the matter out of Sociedad’s hands by meeting his buy-out clause.

The overall cost, made up of the clause and the associated tax penalties, to Madrid is reported to be in the region of €39 million.

It is further evidence of Madrid investing in youth with Illarramendi joining other new recruits Isco, a fellow member of the Spain side which won the European Under-21 Championship in Israel, and Dani Carvajal from Malaga, while midfielder Casemiro’s loan deal from Sao Paul was made permanent.

Bayern Munich coach Pep Guardiola, meanwhile, has lashed out at the Barcelona president, Sandro Rosell, and the club's directors for not leaving him in peace after he left the club.

Incensed
Guardiola said he was incensed by the suggestion he had not made the effort to see Tito Vilanova, his former assistant and current Barça coach, when Vilanova had travelled to New York for cancer treatment.

“I told them [the president and his directors] I was going 6,000km away and asked them to leave me in peace, but they haven’t kept their word,” Guardiola said.

“I did my time [at Barcelona] then decided to leave. I want them to get on with the job and I wish them all the success in the world, because their success will also be mine – I don’t need to say what I feel for this club.”

Guardiola left Barcelona in mid-2012 after four seasons in charge, saying he needed to “recharge my batteries” by taking a year’s sabbatical in New York.

“Too many things have happened that have crossed the line,” Guardiola told the media in Lake Garda in Italy, where Bayern are holding a pre-season training camp.

“I will never forget that they used Tito’s illness to cause me damage, because it’s a lie that I never saw him in New York.

“I saw him once, and the reason I didn’t see him more often was because it wasn’t possible, and that wasn’t my fault. To say that I don’t wish the best of someone who was my colleague for so many years is very bad taste, and I didn’t expect that.

“If any of the things I’ve said is not true, come out and rebut it, but it has to be them [Rosell and the board], not intermediaries or Barcelona messengers. Them.”

Despite his anger, Guardiola intends to be cordial when Bayern play Barcelona in a pre-season friendly on July 24th. “I did the best I could at Barcelona,” he said. “The staff and coaches have nothing to worry about. I left and have nothing to complain about – all I asked was to be left in peace.

"I went off to learn English and I ended up trying to learn German. That was all I focused on. I just ask the board to go their own way and leave me alone and stop using me and my friends to hurt me."

Loan deal
Chelsea have confirmed that midfielder Oriol Romeu has joined Valencia on a season-long loan deal.

The 21-year-old moved to Stamford Bridge two years ago after struggling to force his way in to first-team reckoning at Barcelona.

Romeu, who has represented Spain at every underage level, has played 33 times for the Blues but missed the second half of last season with a serious knee injury.

He will now link up with Valencia as Chelsea continue to send their squad players out on loan.

Romeu joins the likes of Marko Marin, Thibaut Courtois and Patrick van Aanholt in penning temporary moves away from west London but Romelu Lukaku, who impressed whilst on loan at West Brom last year, is still likely to remain a member of Jose Mourinho's squad at Chelsea.