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Real Madrid coach Julen Lopetegui said he will be happy if the club do not sign any other players this summer and that Gareth Bale will have a “magnificent opportunity” to replace Cristiano Ronaldo.
Madrid have spent around €80 million on new signings during the summer transfer window, with youngsters Vinicius Junior, Alvaro Odriozola and Andriy Lunin the fresh faces at the Bernabeu, and reports linking the club to Neymar, Kylian Mbappe or Eden Hazard have subsided.
“We are delighted with the team we have,” Lopetegui told reporters on Monday ahead of the International Champions Cup game against Manchester United in Miami. “We are convinced we will fight for everything. From there, we are working to try to be a good team. If nobody comes and nobody goes, I will be a happy coach.”
Bale spoke about leaving Madrid following the Champions League final win over Liverpool, but with Ronaldo and former coach Zinedine Zidane no longer with the club, Bale’s agent, Jonathan Barnett, told ESPN FC that the forward is happy to stay.
“[Bale] is happy to play for Madrid, that is for sure,” Lopetegui said. “He is delighted to stay. This is a magnificent opportunity to show the great player he is.
“I am convinced that he will do a lot this year. He is an extraordinary player who will give us his best version. We will work on that.”
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Lopetegui suggested that the departure of Ronaldo — who averaged 50 goals a season over nine years at the Bernabeu — was an opportunity to adjust the team with everybody working together.
“Cristiano is one of the most important players in the history of the club,” he said. “He showed his intention to leave and the club facilitated his exit recognising the extraordinary legacy he left.
“It is an exciting challenge to reinvent the team without Cristiano — to make it competitive and go for all the trophies. We all have a great opportunity. We must be clear in what we want. We have great individuals and we will try to make a great team.”
With Madrid still reportedly interested in signing goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois from Chelsea, Lopetegui gave his backing to current No. 1 Keylor Navas, who is now back with the squad following his post-World Cup holiday.
“I spoke with him and we are happy to have him,” he said. “There is nothing else to say. Keylor has been decisive for a long time and will remain so. We want to keep enjoying these performances that Keylor has given Madrid.”
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