Guillem Balague Rejects Mane to Real Madrid Claim

Throughout the madness that was the Philippe Coutinho transfer saga, one voice consistently rose above the fray to update fans on the real goings on behind the scenes: Guillem Balague. The respected Spanish journalist, one with a history of covering Liverpool, tends to have his finger on the pulse when it comes to these types of stories.

With the appointment (or rather reappointment) of Zinedine Zidane to Real Madrid, the rumor mongers went into overdrive, immediately linking the in-form Liverpool player with a move to Spain.

Balague’s response? Simply, “No.”

Well. OK, then.

“The intention is to get a striker,” Balague continued, speaking on his YouTube channel, “No Mane, at the moment. They want as well a center back, a couple of midfielders, but Zidane wants to see who responds to him in the next couple of months.”

This does not completely rule out a Real Madrid swoop (or attempted swoop), but it seems as if that is not an immediate concern.

Perhaps Zidane will come in for him in a couple of months, but hopefully Real Madrid and Zidane will let Liverpool and Mane enjoy the end of the season together, without the massive media attention that a potential transfer would inevitably bring.

And if it does become A Thing, Balague will likely be one of the first reliable reports. Hopefully, all remains quiet on the southern front.