HE WAS SUPPOSED to be the next Dani Alves. Danilo arrived at Real Madrid from Porto for a fee of €31.5 million in the summer of 2015 with a big reputation and in theory, an even brighter future. So far, however, the move has been an unmitigated disaster.
The former Santos right-back made his debut in a goalless game away to Sporting Gijon under Rafa Benitez, the Spanish coach under pressure from president Florentino Perez to select the summer signing in his starting XI.
Ultimately, that contributed to his downfall. Danilo was all at sea as Madrid lost 3-2 at Sevilla and went absent without leave in the Clasico when Barcelona tore through his sector at will in an incredible 4-0 win at the Santiago Bernabeu.
Danilo also featured in the 1-0 defeat at Villarreal and after Benitez was removed in January, he played in the 1-0 loss at home to Atletico in La Liga and then in the 2-0 reverse away to Wolfsburg.
By the season’s end, he had played every minute of every single Madrid defeat in 2015-16, a damning indictment on his defensive abilities if ever there was one.
That followed another own goal at Sevilla in the last 16 earlier this month and the 25-year-old is showing few signs that he can become the player Madrid hoped he would when they signed him in 2015.
Real have had a number of expensive disappointments in recent times – the likes of Kaka, Walter Samuel, Antonio Cassano and Jonathan Woodgate – but unless there is a dramatic improvement, Danilo will join them in being one of the worst signings in the history of the club.
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No author to this article, why am I not surprised.
Aren’t a lot of these ridiculous overpriced signings from Portuguese clubs donkeys? Yet they keep coming. Weird.
Name a few there?
Anelka was a bad signing 33M€ in 1999, glossed over by a couple of timely goals . Woodgate was so unlucky it was comical his best performance was capped with an own goal and a red card . Then we shouldn’t forget about Enver Baljic , or Ogjenovic , Baljic cost 16M€ back in 1999 … think about that … Ogjenovic was 2,5M same year , Prosinecki cost RM 3M€ in 1991 and was a flop , and then we could talk about Spasic, Fredy Rincón, Congo , Vítor ( who they signed instead of Cafú) , Carlos Secretario ( who would have looked bad in the United Churches League) , Flavio Conceicao, 27M€ !! in 2000 . So if you factor in things like inflation and the current market forces , Danilo can still hold his head up high !!!!
Don’t forget Jonathan Woodgate!
Why was my comment deleted. All i said was what was that comment
Well Smithers, what will you be doing this weekend? Something Gay no doubt!
You bet