Real Madrid remained only two points behind the leaders Barcelona in the La Liga thanks to another stupendous performance from Cristiano Ronaldo who has been immense this season. Los Blancos have relied on the influential Portuguese captain for the majority of the goals this season due to the injury to Gonzalo Higuain and the inconsistency of Karim Benzema. Jose Mourinho has plenty of options when it comes to midfielders but he has not got many strikers at the club.
Mourinho is a manager who prefers to have a striker who is technically good as well as someone who has good physical qualities and can hold the ball. His successes with Chelsea and Inter Milan was linked with the consistent performances of Didier Drogba in England and Diego Milito and Samuel Etoo in Italy. He has two good strikers in Higuain and Benzema but the Argentine's injury has meant that Mourinho has no good optional striker from the bench.
Van Nistelrooy does want to return to his former club for whom he scored a number of goals after his transfer from Manchester United. He is reportedly interested to move to Real Madrid but Hamburg are reluctant to release the player whose contract ends in the summer. The Dutchman has a knack of scoring goals and believes that he has still got a lot to offer the Spanish club and his experience could be vital to the Los Blancos to develop young strikers like Morata.
Real Madrid manager Jose Mourinho has already admitted that he would like a player of Van Nistelrooy's quality to join the club and that he knows the striker from his Manchester United days. The Portuguese tacticians would like to have someone as experienced as the Dutchman in his squad and if Benzema does get injured, he could still employ the same formation with Van Nistelrooy as the lone striker instead of playing six midfielders.
The deal would not be very costly considering that the Dutchman only has six months left on his contract and is past his prime which would mean that he should cost less compared to many other strikers in the world. Also, Van Nistelrooy is interested in playing again for Real Madrid which would make the deal a lot easier to happen if Los Merengues do lodge a proper bid for him in this January transfer window.
Advantages
Ruud Van Nistelrooy may not be in his prime but he certainly retains the compsure and killer instinct in front of goal. He still has good physical strength and has a lot to add to Real Madrid. Nistelrooy has also played for Madrid in the recent and it will not take him long to adjust to the rigours of the La Liga and having enjoyed a successful spell with the Los Blancos, he will be confident of reproducing his best under Jose Mourinho.
Also Nistelrooy's experience could be vital to guide young strikers Higuain and Benzema who both have the habit of missing some easy chances which should be converted by players of their quality and talent. The Dutchman will not only provide good cover for these two but would also be an excellent player to have on the bench to create an impact if necessary. With the departure of the legendary Raul, Nistelrooy's presence in the dressing room will certainly provide a boost to the club and his experience could be vital for the club.
Disadvantages
Nistelrooy is certainly past his prime and could find it difficult to adjust to the fast game that Real Madrid play under Jose Mourinho. One of Real Madrid's greatest strengths under the Portuguese tactician has been the speed of the counter attacks and with the Dutchman in the team, he cannot get in behind defences like Benzema or Higuain. Also if Nistelrooy is signed, it would end their search for a striker and better strikers could not be targeted if Mourinho and Los Blancos decide to make a deal with the Dutchman and Hamburg.
Also someone like Higuain or Benzema could feel unsettled by the arrival of Van Nistelrooy who is a crowd favourite at the Bernabeu and that could add more pressure to perform. However Jose Mourinho is excellent in man-management skills and will ensure that he gets the best from his players. The other thing to be considered is whether the Dutchman would accept if he is benched to accommodate a younger striker like Benzema.
Can Ruud van Nistelrooy help Real Madrid win the La Liga and the Champions League?
Real Madrid would be severely affected if Benzema does sustain an injury over the course of the season and having a player of the calibre of Nistelrooy will only add more quality to the squad. It is debatable whether signing Van Nistelrooy could prove pivotal to their title hopes but the addition of an experienced player like him will instill a positive mentality in the camp.
Also, Van Nistelrooy has been successful against the best teams in the world and does know what it takes to achieve victory over quality teams. He can guide youngsters to perform better under pressure and can also add a number of useful goals for the club. There is a good possibility that Real Madrid might attempt to sign the Hamburg striker and it would be great for them if the Dutchman does sign for the Los Blancos.
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