Real Madrid don’t need to sign anybody – Calderon

Ramon Calderon has claimed that Real Madrid have no need to make signings in the summer transfer market.

With Madrid on the verge of sealing a 33rd Primera Division title, the former president at the Bernabeu has backed the squad that coach Zinedine Zidane has at his disposal to be successful for years to come.

“I think we have a team which is very, very strong,” he told Goal. “I don’t think we need any players. I wouldn’t sign anyone. I think the substitutes have been playing very well. In some matches, only two starters played in the line-up alongside the substitute players and still they played well. I don’t think there is a need to sign anyone.”

Despite his bullish nature over the strength of the panel, he was not willing to guarantee Madrid will retain their Champions League crown, which they will defend against Juventus on June 3 in Cardiff.

“The challenge will be for Real Madrid to be the first team to win it two years in a row,” he said. “The match will be difficult. Juventus are a very strong team and are not just a typical Italian team with a strong defence.

“Their goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon is one of the best in the world, so the result is unpredictable.

“They have three very good forwards in Paulo Dybala, who has played really well. Also Gonzalo Higuain, a player I signed for Real Madrid, and Mario Mandzukic.

“Higuain was a fantastic player and hence, we signed him at the age of 19. Nobody thought that he would be so good back then. He helped us win two La Liga titles in a row. It was a pity to sell him. We thought he, alongside Cristiano Ronaldo and Arjen Robben would have been the three forwards but I’m very happy that he is successful in Italy.”

Calderon was influential in the deal that saw Madrid sign Cristiano Ronaldo from Manchester United in 2009, although he left his post before the deal was completed, yet he has been impressed by the manner in which the Portuguese has been handled by Zidane.

“He will always be one of the favourites to win the Ballon d’Or,” Calderon explained of the Portuguese. “He has proven to be a fantastic player. He is scoring lot of goals and is now playing inside the box.

“I think it has been a wise decision from Zidane, who decided to put him in the box. Let’s hope that he can help us win another title. I hope he will finish his career in Spain.

“It was difficult for me to sign him in 2008 with Manchester United not letting him go. We had an agreement to buy him the next season for £80 million. I could say I was the one who signed Ronaldo for Real Madrid.”

Calderon also thinks that it is not hard to pry away promising talents from English clubs because of the huge amounts of money they are generating from TV revenue.

“The TV rights allow the English clubs to make a huge amount of money, almost four times the money made in La Liga. So they are not selling clubs. If someone wants to buy a player from them, they will have to pay a lot of money. First, it was Cristiano for £80m and then was Gareth Bale for £100m and now Paul Pogba.”

Madrid will win La Liga if they earn a point against Malaga on Sunday.