Madrid (AFP) – Zinedine Zidane said Saturday that he hopes Real Madrid will bolster their attack this summer, doing little to deflate speculation surrounding moves for Neymar and Eden Hazard.
“I have a clear idea what I want to do,” Zidane told reporters. “The profiles and everything. I do not have every name, but I have clear idea what I want to achieve next year and we are working on it.
“Our intention is to have more strength in attack.”
Since returning to manage Real in March, Zidane has voiced his admiration for stars such as Chelsea’s Eden Hazard and Paul Pogba at Manchester United.
This week another star linked to Real, Neymar, gave an interview in his native Brazil in which the Paris Saint-Germain star said he dreamed of playing with Hazard.
Zidane was asked if playing for Real was a dream come true.
“Yes, for many players,” he replied. “They know that this club is important and many want to play here one day. It’s natural.”
The theme continued when Zidane was asked if Hazard and Gareth Bale would be compatible.
“All good players are compatible,” he said, going on to refer to Youri Djorkaeff, a team-mate when France won the 1998 World Cup and Euro 2000. “They said I was not compatible with Djorkaeff. What nonsense.”
As for Bale, who is expected to leave in the summer, “at the end of the season you will see what we are going to do. I’m sure he’ll keep playing until the end of the season”.
Real visit bottom side Rayo Vallecano on Sunday practically assured of Champions League football despite a deeply disappointing season.
The European champions are third in La Liga with four games to go, six points behind second-place Atletico Madrid and 10 clear of Getafe and Sevilla in fourth and fifth.
