Perez promises bigticket signings

Real president looks to boost squad after Ronaldo’s departure to sustain their supremacy in Europe

MADRID: Real Madrid president Florentino Perez has vowed that his club will make a splash in this summer’s transfer market. European champions Real have had a tempestuous close season with Zinedine Zidane stepping down as coach in May days after his team won the Champions League for the third year in a row.

Real’s record goalscorer Cristiano Ronaldo joined Juventus and the club have only recruited youngsters Alvaro Odriozola, Vinicius Junior and Andriy Lunin who all arrived in the Spanish capital to little fanfare.

Traditional big-hitters when it comes to making signings, especially in World Cup years, Real have been heavily linked in British and Spanish newspapers with Chelsea’s Eden Hazard and Thibaut Courtois.

“We need to strengthen our present and our future. This is a great squad that will be strengthened by some brilliant players,” Perez told a news conference on Wednesday.

“We’re in one of the richest periods of our history. We’ve won unique titles. We’re sound institutionally, have strong financial power and have the supports of millions of fans.

“We’re going to look to carry on winning and nobody should be in doubt about that. Many thought it was impossible to win three Champions Leagues in a row. We are Madrid and we always want more.”

RONALDO MOVE WILL BOOST SERIE A: JOSE

Jose Mourinho feels Juventus’ capture of Cristiano Ronaldo will give Serie A a lot of attention in the upcoming season.

“Now we see three dimensional football. Everyone will look to Italy for Cristiano, to Spain for [Lionel] Messi and England for the Premier League,” he told Tele Radio Stereo. “They (Juventus) are more motivated by the signing, they are contributing to the quality, attention and excitement of Serie A. I congratulate Juventus. It is a blow with effects at all levels, including marketing, advertising and merchandising.”