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With Guti announcing he will move away from Real Madrid this summer, more attention will turn to captain Raúl, the second talismanic Merengue who is expected to leave the Santiago Bernabeu this summer.
Raúl González, the club's all-time leading goalscorer, has also been asked to stay away from training by new coach José Mourinho as his future is settled. According to comments out of Germany, that future looks likely to be in Gelsenkirchen.
Schalke 04, who finished second in last season's Bundesliga, is thought to lead the chase to land the veteran striker, with English Premier League clubs Tottenham and Newcastle United also figuring into the chase. While rumors of a move to the Veltins-Arena have floated throughout the summer, quotes from Schalke coach Felix Magath hint that Raúl's arrival is more of a when than an if:
"He will be a sensation in the Bundesliga," Magath told German newspaper Bild.
"He will be an important player for us and will give a lot to the team."
Raúl fits a need for a Schalke club that lost striker Kevin Kuranyi to Dynamo Moscow, though replicating Kuranyi's 21 all-competition goals will require a rejuvenation from the former Spanish international.
Last season, Raúl scored only five league goals, down from 18 in the previous season. After featuring in Manuel Pellegrini's starting lineup at the beginning of the campaign, the captain eventually settled-into a substitute's role. His seven all-competition goals tied a career low, previously set in 2005-06.
After 15 years and 542 matches, midfielder Guti is moving on from Real Madrid, it was announced today. The 33-year-old, who confirmed he had an offer from Istanbul club Besiktas, leaves the team he joined as a nine-year-old, making his senior team debut in December 1995.
"I am leaving with the knowledge that the Real Madrid family loves me and that's very important," said Guti.
"It wasn't an easy decision. But I have a good offer from Besiktas, an interesting one, now we'll see."
Guti had one year left on his contract at the Santiago Bernabeu but looked unlikely to figure into new coach José Mourinho's plans, having been asked to stay away from the beginning of training while he looked for another club. That came on the back of a season where Guti managed to play in 26 league matches despite being excluded from the team for a long, mid-season stretch following reported conflict with then-coach Manuel Pellegrini.
With a given name of José María Gutíerrez Hernández, the Madrid-born Guti was a part of fifteen major titles while at Real Madrid: five Spanish Primera Divisions; four Spanish Supercopas; three UEFA Champions Leagues; two Intercontinental Cups; one UEFA Super Cup. During that time, Guti scored 86 goals, 46 of which came in league.
Guti joined Real Madrid's youth academy at nine years old and made his full debut at 19. Today's announcement ends a relationship between club and player that lasted 25 years. His 15 seasons in the senior team was a tenure second in length to only Raul's, with the captain also set to leave Real Madrid this summer.
In his final statements as a Real Madrid player, Guti acknowledged the conflicts of his final years at the Santiago Bernabeu:
"They're a lot of years and many (were) complicated but in the end I managed to achieve the most important things," added Guti. "So many years here... an unforgettable stage (of my life)."
Guti is now considering an offer to move to Istanbul and join his former coach Bernd Schuster at Besiktas. Regardless of where he ends up, Guti hopes to rejoin Real Madrid at some point, once his career is over:
"I don't know where I will end up playing, but I would like to have the possibility of carrying on at Real Madrid when my career as a footballer has ended."
Guti Agrees To Besiktas Deal
Two days after announcing his departure from Real Madrid, midfielder Guti completed his reunion with former coach Bernd Schuster, signing for Istanbul-based Besiktas on Monday.
The 33-year-old midfielder, who has never played for any club but Real Madrid, agreed to a two-year deal worth €2.7 million per season. The deal is pending a physical examination, which will be done on Tuesday.
Guti make 542 appearances for Real Madrid over the course of 15 seasons, scoring 86 goals. After losing playing time last year under Manuel Pellegrini, Guti did not figure into the plans of new coach José Mourinho, who allowed the midfielder to leave on a free despite having one season reminding on his Real Madrid contract.
Jul 26 6:42p by Richard Farley - 0 comments