Zinedine Zidane Content if Gareth Bale Stays, Excited for Eden Hazard at Real Madrid
Real Madrid manager Zinedine Zidane has opened up about a number of high-profile stories surrounding the club this summer, including their ongoing pursuit of Manchester United's Paul Pogba and what's next for Gareth Bale in the Spanish capital.
Los Blancos have already splashed over €300m on new signings this summer, but France international Pogba remains one of Zidane's personal targets to bring in to the Santiago Bernabéu ahead of the 2019/20 season.
Zidane remained cryptic as he often has when he's quizzed about Real Madrid's interest in Pogba, but the 47-year-old insisted that the club are still working hard behind the scenes on fulfilling their long-term plans.
"You ask me another question and I will always answer the same," he said, quoted by the club's official website. "We know with the club what we want to do and we are working on what we want to do.
"What I’m looking forward to is tomorrow's match and working bit by bit. We have time for the rest and we'll see what will happen."
The biggest chunk of Real Madrid's €300m spending spree this summer has been used to lure Eden Hazard away from Chelsea, and Zidane claims that there are a lot of similarities at how they both ended up at the club for the first time.
"We will take advantage of his qualities," Zidane added. "I'm very happy with him. Eden needed a club like Real Madrid to improve. This club has something special and we all know it.
"When I arrived at Real Madrid, I was 29 years old and I still had a lot left. I spent five years as a player and improved things. Eden's situation is the same. We know the type of player he is and that he can give us a lot."
For all of Real Madrid's incoming this summer, however, the club still need to recoup funds in order to pass through the Financial Fair Play scrutiny which is on them with flying colours.
The club's biggest asset who's up for sale is Wales international Bale, but Zidane claims that Real Madrid will be happy to keep hold of the 30-year-old if that's the way the cookie crumbles and they're unable to find a buyer this summer.
"Him staying is not a problem. I can't say that the player is a problem," he claimed. "He has a contract, he is here and what I can say is that anything could happen.
"I have to respect all the players, he is with us and he is a Real Madridplayer. We will see what will happen. His role has not changed compared to in June."
