Asier Illarramendi – Real Madrid
Dave Maddock in the Mirror suggests that Asier Illarramendi is available for £12m, which if true, seems like a no-brainer for us. Like Lucas Silva, his chances of first-team football are slim due to the world-class incumbents of the Real Madrid midfield spots, and he’s been consistently linked with us all summer.
Swapping Lucas for Illarramendi, who at 25 is entering the best years of his career, would be clever business.
The Spaniard is a better passer and more accustomed to controlling the tempo of a game from deep, whereas Lucas is more of a destroyer (who lacks the physicality to be one at the very highest level).
This transfer link is by far the strongest, and if we were to secure Illarra for the mooted price, our summer in the market would undoubtedly be deemed a success.
