Real Madrid continues to be one of the top two favorite teams in La Liga even as they opened the new season with a goalless draw against Sporting Gijon. Los Blancos manager Rafael Benítez is well aware of the standard of excellence expected of him at the Bernabéu and so rumors of transfers abound amidst the window's closure.
Karim Benzema happy with Real Madrid: The 27-year-old French striker had persistently been linked with Premier League clubs Arsenal and Manchester United all summer. Speculations went out on deadline day that Arsene Wenger was preparing a £50-million bid for Benzema, but nothing materialized.
The France international had also repeatedly said that he is perfectly happy with Real and even said that he is playing for "the best club in the world". Wenger will take another shot at it in January for sure. But for now, he stays at the Bernabéu. Verdict: Fact.
Southampton bid for on-loan midfielder Lucas Silva: The 22-year-old Brazilian was acquired in January from Cruzeiro but encountered a deep Los Blancos midfield, which made Benítez loan him to Ligue 1 club Marseille for the meantime.
Southampton is said to be interested in the central midfielder and had offered a bid before the window closed last week but did not beat the deadline. However, Silva is reportedly hoping to return to the Bernabéu after his stint in France. Verdict: Fiction.
Benitez rejects £110M PSG bid for Ronaldo: With Zlatan Ibrahimović's rumored transfer to Major League Soccer by the end of the season, the French champions are starting to find an appropriate replacement for the 33-year-old striker.
No other than Los Merengues Cristiano Ronaldo is their £110-million target, but Benitez reportedly quickly rejected the offer. Although it was also reported that the 55-year-old Spanish manager may be willing to listen to offers for the Portuguese captain next summer. Verdict: Fact.