With Gareth Bale on the verge of a blockbuster move from Tottenham Hotspur to Real Madrid, the Spanish giants are preparing a stunning unveiling to welcome the Welsh star to Spain – but will the other members of Carlo Ancelotti's squad be quite so open armed?
Having missed out on the signing of Neymar, who joined fierce rivals Barcelona, Blancos President Florentino Perez was searching for a marquee signing to continue the 'Galacticos' mentality that has become synonymous with Perez's stints in charge.
Despite appeasing the fans by signing a clutch of Spanish players in Isco, Asier Illarramendi and Dani Carvajal, Perez still chased the household name that would rival Barca’s capture of the Brazilian superstar. Whilst Carlo Ancelotti was rumoured to be chasing his former Paris Saint-Germain striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic, much of this summer's focus has been on capturing Bale.
It looks as though months of negotiations with Spurs chairman Daniel Levy have paid off, with the 24-year-old arriving in Spain to complete a deal worth a speculated €100m – but media reports suggest a number of players are unsettled by Bale's arrival.
Obviously, the signing of another winger immediately posed questions about Cristiano Ronaldo's long term future at the club. With the 28-year-old's contract set to expire in 2015, rumours have been abound of a return to Manchester United, with Bale being brought in as a like-for-like replacement. Whilst the Spurs man is a fantastic talent, the vision at Santiago Bernabeu is to have both the Portuguese forward and Bale spearheading their assault on domestic and European glory.
Other attacking players are reportedly unsettled by the pursuit of the ex-Southampton flyer. Playmaker Mesut Ozil may be concerned about his first team prospects after the signing of Isco, and including Bale into the mix could limit his playing time. A once crucial part of Jose Mourinho's side, the Germany internatonal may find himself a peripheral figure with new additions under Ancelotti.
Both Angel Di Maria and Karim Benzema have been linked with moves to Arsenal, with Di Maria unlikely to find a regular place in Ancelotti's starting XI with Bale and Ronaldo occupying the flanks. The Argentine certainly looks the most likely to exit the Bernabeu before next week's transfer deadline, with the 25-year-old unlikely to be content with a place on the fringes as he bids to make Argentina's World Cup squad next summer.
Whilst Bale's quality is sure to improve Madrid on the field, there are valid concerns that his imminent signing could cause internal conflict. Ozil, Di Maria and Benzema are reputedly furious that the Welsh winger is set to earn a lot more than them, despite all three establishing themselves as key players of the Madrid squad over recent years.
The signing seems to be driven more by Perez's desire to land a big name signing rather than Ancelotti's attempts to strengthen an already potent set of attackers. With previous Madrid boss Mauricio Pellegrini insisting that Perez signed players that the club didn't need – and that the manager didn't necessarily want – it seems that history may be repeating itself under Perez.
