Bale or a number 9?

Posted Tuesday, July 09, 2013 by Marca.com

Bale or a number 9?

After signing Isco, Carvajal and, soon to be officially announced, Illarramendi, Real Madrid enters the final straight in its bid to put together a squad for the 2013/14 season. However, there is one key player missing: Gareth Bale.

The Welshman remains Madrid's first choice reinforcement, but 'Los Blancos' are well aware of the problems in negotiating his exit from White Hart Lane. The directors are therefore looking into other alternatives – specifically, the possibility of reinforcing the squad with a number 9 who would be a drop-in replacement for the almost certain departure of Higuaín.

The club believes that a striker could provide some 20-25 goals (Gareth Bale scored 26 last season), as well as providing the necessary competition for Karim Benzema. Doubts continue to surround the Frenchman, who did not produce the consistency expected of him last season after his great run in 2011/12.

If Real does opt for a striker, there are several big names on the table. With Cavani close to a deal with PSG, the options include Luis Suárez, Wayne Rooney, the constantly touted Kun Agüero and, if Cavani does end up heading to the Parc des Princes, even Zlatan Ibrahimovic.

In any event, the club knows that it cannot waste any time if it is to round off a squad which, with the signings made so far, is creating great expectations for the season to come.