On Friday, Real Madrid president Florentino Perez announced that the club had profited a staggering €38.5 million for the 2013-14 season. That number is expected to rise with the departures of Xabi Alonso, Angel Di Maria and Juan Morata during the summer transfer window—this despite the acquisitions of James Rodriguez and Toni Kroos.
Florentino Pérez announces a profit of €38.5 million for Real Madrid for season 2013/14 pic.twitter.com/33rXMo8n6F
— AS English (@English_AS) September 5, 2014
With excess revenue to expend, Perez has reportedly set his sights on another transfer target. According to Tuttosport (via Goal Transfer Talk), that target is said to be Inter Milan's Fredy Guarin.
The 28-year-old made 32 league appearances in Serie A last season, finishing his campaign with four goals and six assists. His average of 1.4 key passes and 2.7 take-ons per match highlight the totality of his attack-minded game.
Undoubtedly, his acquisition would come in lieu of Angel Di Maria's departure from the Santiago Bernabeu.
The question is: Is this a like-for-like replacement for Los Blancos?
The numbers suggest no. Though Guarin is averaging nearly twice as much take-ons per match (2.7), he lacks the distribution threat Di Maria brought on a weekly basis. Guarin's six assists pale in comparison to the 17 his Argentine counterpart posted last season. Unsurprisingly, Di Maria created more chances on average per match (2.6).
In Guarin's defense, he didn't have the opportunity to assist the most lethal front-three in all of football. There's no telling how productive the Colombian international could be playing alongside Cristiano Ronaldo, Karim Benzema and Gareth Bale.
That, however, will change should Perez follow through on a deal for his services.
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