Ruud Gullit is not convinced Aurelien Tchouameni will leave Real Madrid following his training ground fight with Federico Valverde, insisting ‘football can’t exist without conflict.’
The teammates were at the centre of an incredible bust-up in the dressing room of Real’s training base in Valdebebas on Thursday that has rocked the club.
Having had an argument on Wednesday, things turned physical the following day with the latest row reportedly sparked when Valverde refused to shake Tchouameni’s hand.
During the incident, Valverde was taken to hospital with a head injury, later explaining he suffered a ‘cut on my forehead’ caused when he ‘accidentally hit a table’.
The explosive row came just three days before El Clasico where Barcelona will be crowned champions if they beat their arch-rivals. Real have opened disciplinary proceedings against both players with Valverde already ruled out of Sunday’s game as a result of his injury.
The Uruguay international apologised for the incident in a lengthy Instagram post last night, insisting: ‘In a normal locker room, these things can happen and are usually resolved internally without it becoming public knowledge.’
Tchouameni meanwhile is a summer transfer target for Manchester United who are considering an ambitious move to bring him to Old Trafford to replace Casemiro – the man the France international succeeded in Madrid.
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Officials at United might feel the drama engulfing Real could work in their favour but Dutch legend Gullit believes incidents even as chaotic as this week’s in the Spanish capital are ‘normal’.
‘[The fight] That’s normal. Come on. In my day, every week there was always something going on,’ Gullit told Metro via MrRaffle.com.
‘I don’t care about that – that’s a normal thing and it has to happen. You need to get rid of your frustration. In a team, you don’t need to like each other. You can dislike someone, but you have to respect them because they’re an important asset to the team. But conflict will always come. It must. Football can’t exist without conflict.’
United have Tchouameni on their shortlist of midfield targets that also includes Elliot Anderson, Adam Wharton, Carlos Baleba and others. While their interest in the former Monaco star is ambitious, reports have suggested the future of Manchester City star Rodri could be a pivotal factor if Real were to firm up their interest in the Spain international.
Gullit only sees one scenario where a player of the France international’s calibre leaves Real and suggests United may need to look elsewhere.
‘Look, Real Madrid is the biggest club in the world. Nobody refuses Real Madrid. Nobody,’ Gullit said.
‘You don’t say, “No thanks.” So to leave Real Madrid, there’s only one reason – if they tell you we’re signing someone else and you’re going in a different direction. But you don’t leave just because you want to go somewhere else. It doesn’t happen.’