After a week when the 93-year-old media mogul Rupert Murdoch got married for the fifth time, he and his 67-year-old new wife Elena Zhukova swapped gifts on their wedding day – he gave her a beautiful diamond ring and she gave him a set of jump leads! – Real Mallorca fans are still waiting to see new coach Jagoba Arrasate officially put pen to paper on a three-year deal. Various people involved in the signing “ceremony” have been on holiday and it’s now expected the new manager will dot the I’s and cross the T’s in the next few days. Everything regarding the contract has been agreed, it’s only getting all parties together at the same time that’s taking a while.
The Spanish transfer window opens on July 1 and closes at the end of August. Real Mallorca’s director of football, Pablo Ortells, has once again got a list of possible recruitments available and he’ll be sitting down with Arrasate to work out who goes, who stays and any new players the new boss might want. Pity the football manager who at this time of year is thinking about the beach rather than a bench after a nine-month season but they’re well aware that early birds to the open transfer window tend to bag the juiciest worms. Mallorquinistas hope that whatever deals are about to be done, they can be completed as soon as possible as last summer the signings of Darder and Larin seemed to go on for ever. During the 36 days of the transfer market this summer, there won’t be the usual whirlwind of activity as money for most clubs in La Liga looks to be too tight to mention.
Mallorca have an overbooking problem between the sticks. Predrag Rajkovic is being head-hunted by several top sides both in Spain and England. He’s at present away on international duty with Serbia, which makes any monetary transaction all the more lucrative for us. Mallorca can no longer afford another season with two goalkeepers of the calibre of “Rajko” and Dominik Greif. The Slovakian international only appeared in a handful of La Liga games but played in all our cup games including the final and was sensational in the semi-final against Real Sociedad saving two penalties. Rajkovic’s consistency is brilliant and it looks like he could be the one to move on this summer. Clubs like Betis and West Ham have been sniffing around and Mallorca could be asking around eight to ten million euros. However, 30% of any sale will go to his previous club in France, Stade de Reims.
Third goalkeeper, Ibiza-born Leo Roman, was loaned out to Oviedo last summer and he’s been one of the best ’keepers in the second division. Oviedo will play Eibar in the play offs over the next couple of weeks and if Oviedo do well, I can’t see Roman wanting to come back and be in the shadows for another term. Never in its 108-year history has Mallorca had three top class goalkeepers like we have now but economics state that one has to go.
In defence, at the moment, there are a few worries. None more so than top central defender and captain, 33-year-old Antonio Raillo. He joined Mallorca in 2016/17 just as we were relegated to second division B. In eight seasons he’s become the undisputed leader and captain but now he’s got itchy feet and Real Betis have shown an interest. They want a replacement for their centre back Chadi Riad, as the Moroccan heads to Crystal Palace. Mallorca have again made it clear that Raillo is going nowhere and will offer him more money and a contract extension. Also looking for a move is Pablo Maffeo. He’s been quoted on social media as saying he wants to look for a way out of the Spanish league. Pablo missed long periods through injury last season and his replacement Gio Gonzalez hasn’t put a boot wrong all season. Last Summer the club received several offers for Maffeo which were all rejected. Now with his appearances last season diminished, the club will have to accept a much less advantageous deal.
In mid field Portuguese player (our hod carrier!) Samu Costa has been spectacular and has a contract until 2028. However, his “super” agent Jorge Mendes has been passing Costa’s CV around Europe. He’s one of our coveted players who, when he isn’t playing, the team suffer the consequences. The 23-year-old “tattooed warhorse” does not have an exaggeratedly high clause since that was one of the conditions for him coming here from Almeria last Summer. Mallorca have no intention of transferring Costa but of course they know that if a substantial offer arrives it will be very difficult to hold on to him. His agent is capable of opening doors of any club he deems appropriate – not only in Europe. Next week Fan’s View will look at which players are on the club’s radar for next season.
Friendly match at Son Moix
Tomorrow night at 9.30pm in Son Moix, Spain will entertain Northern Ireland in a friendly game. One person expected to be there in some capacity is ex Real Mallorca striker and Ulster footballing legend Gerry Armstrong. He scored the only goal of a World Cup game against Spain (one of Spanish football’s greatest humiliations) in Valencia in 1982. Not long after that goal he signed for Mallorca from Watford for 45 million pesetas (270,455 euros) and he was our top scorer with eight goals in 1983.
Forty years ago in the old Luis Sitjar ground just before half time, Gerry banged in the opener against Valladolid and the old ground exploded with joy, so much so that the wall down the south end collapsed and 60 fans tumbled 50 metres into the dry moat below which surrounded the pitch. Unbelievably nobody was seriously injured as the game carried on later with Valladolid scoring a late equaliser. My memory of that heated encounter was when the Mallorca coach Marcel Domingo was given a 10 match suspension for shaking the linesman by the throat while protesting angrily! Gerry came back to Mallorca in 2015 and had a bar in the square in Santa Ponsa.
And finally
With the imminent rise of self-driving vehicles, it’s surely only a matter of time before there’s a country song where the guy’s truck leaves him!