There are moves that may seem small on the board, but they hide a masterstroke. What is brewing between Girona and Olympique de Marseille with Miguel Gutiérrez as the main character is one of those cases. An operation that could end up being a real trick on Real Madrid.
The left-back, who left the white team for Girona two seasons ago, is in the sights of the French club. Marseille wants to finalize his signing as soon as possible, and from the footballer's camp, everything suggests that the agreement is very close.
The problem is that Madrid, which had kept 50% of a future sale, could end up seeing much less money than expected.
Pere Guardiola, the mastermind in the shadows
Pere Guardiola is behind the move. Pep's brother is not just another guest in this story. He is one of Girona's main shareholders and an influential figure within City Group, which also controls the Catalan club.
Guardiola has experience and knowledge of market rules. He is exploring ways for the deal to be closed under conditions that benefit Girona and reduce Real Madrid's profit.
They are considering the partial sale of rights or the use of special clauses to limit Real Madrid in the distribution.
The goal would be to close the transfer for a symbolic amount or under special conditions that circumvent the clause agreed with Madrid. This strategy would not be illegal, but it would be deeply annoying for the white club and, above all, for Florentino Pérez.
Miguel Gutiérrez, at the center of the maneuver
The left-back has been one of the revelations of the season. His offensive projection, tactical maturity, and prominence at Girona have skyrocketed his value. Madrid, aware of his potential, had kept a right to benefit from a future sale.
However, all that plan could fall apart if the covert move being prepared from Girona is carried out. A sale with fine print that would leave Madrid empty-handed and Florentino with another concern on the table.
Girona wants Azzedine Ounahi, a Marseille player. The move consists of establishing a swap with Miguel Gutiérrez, as reported by the portal "FootMercato".
The operation would involve Olympique offering Ounahi plus money for Miguel Gutiérrez. This way, the surplus of the operation would be minimal.
Madrid, which owns 50% of the player's rights, expected a sale of 20 million (10 for Bernabéu's coffers). With the latest news from Girona, Real Madrid could barely hope for 2 or 3 million for the sale of Gutiérrez.
The white board is closely monitoring the matter. This is not the first time that operations of this kind have taken place in modern soccer. Florentino has already had to deal with clubs that seek to avoid agreed payments through legal technicalities.
Cold war between Madrid and the Guardiola camp
This maneuver is not interpreted only as a market move. At Bernabéu, it is also understood as another episode of the cold war between Real Madrid and the Guardiola camp. It is no secret that relations between both sides have been frozen for years.
If the move succeeds, Girona will have managed to leave Real Madrid without a good amount of money. It will have done so with a smile and a signature. As if nothing had happened.