Rivaldo: Real Madrid don’t need Pogba or Eriksen

Real Madrid do not need to sign Paul Pogba nor Christian Eriksen, according to former Brazil forward Rivaldo.

Los Blancos endured a poor campaign in the 2018/19 season, finishing third in La Liga and winning only the Club World Cup.

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• Real Madrid have made a number of big-name signings this summer including Eden Hazard and Luka Jovic.
• Los Blancos have also been linked with moves for Paul Pogba and Christian Eriksen.
• Both Pogba and Eriksen are reportedly trying to move away from Manchester United and Tottenham respectively.
• But Rivaldo believes Real Madrid’s midfield would be fine without the pair.
• Real have lost three of their five pre-season friendlies so far.

As a result, the Spanish capital club have undergone a summer of change, bringing in a number of big-name signings. Eden Hazard, Luka Jovic, Eder Militao, Ferland Mendy and Rodrygo have all switched to Real Madrid, with the likes of Pogba and Eriksen consistently being tipped to join them.

But 2002 World Cup winner Rivaldo, who played for Madrid’s rivals Barcelona 236 times, believes Zinedine Zidane does not need midfield reinforcements.

“The press are saying that Madrid need to reinforce their midfield, with Cristian Eriksen and Paul Pogba among the rumoured targets. Both are excellent players and would fit well at the Bernabeu,” he said in a column for Betfair.

“In spite of their bad pre-season, I’m not sure that Madrid need reinforcements.

“Critics of Madrid’s midfield should not forget that Casemiro is only returning to the team now after injury, so they have been playing without their starting defensive midfielder and one of the most important players.

“Madrid will improve with Casemiro back in the squad, although his absence doesn’t explain their awful pre-season.”

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Madrid shouldn’t panic after bad pre-season

Despite all their new signings, Real Madrid have not had the best pre-season. Los Blancos kicked off their preparations for the 2019/20 campaign with a 3-1 defeat to Bayern Munich, following it up with a penalty shootout win over Arsenal after a 2-2 draw.

The lowest point for Los Blancos came in a 7-3 humiliation at the hands of rivals Atletico Madrid, before losing 1-0 to Tottenham. Madrid did then bounce back to beat Fenerbahce 5-3 but defensive problems overshadowed the win.

However, Rivaldo believes there is nothing to worry about for Real Madrid.

He added: “Of course, Real Madrid’s awful pre-season is not good for them, as it’s always better to start by winning matches and gaining some confidence.

“This is not the perfect start for a club that has made quality signings this summer and has had Zinedine Zidane back in charge since before the end of last season.

“That said, we are in the pre-season and there is time to make improvements, so it’s a little early to get scared. Naturally, it would have been better for Madrid to start with a string of victories.

“They need to quickly turn things around to avoid bringing the bad energy into their season proper. After such a poor campaign last year, Madrid fans will expect their club to be much stronger this year.”