In an exclusive interview with Bet Ideas, former Real Madrid and Manchester City striker Alvaro Negredo has given his thoughts on the Premier League, La Liga and beyond.
The ex-Spain international striker has tipped Chelsea’s Cole Palmer to end up at Real Madrid and explained what comparisons to Zinedine Zidane have done to Jude Bellingham.
Negredo has also discussed Benjamin Sesko at Man Utd, his time working under Gary Neville at Valencia and why he would’ve played for Rangers over Celtic.
Q: How would you rank Xabi Alonso’s start to the new season?
“Xabi Alonso is a very young coach with a lot of enthusiasm and drive. He’s new to this, but I was lucky enough to be with him in a locker room and it was soon clear he would be a good coach.
“Having played for big clubs, I think he knows how to handle it. Madrid’s season, with the players they have, needed to start well from the beginning because there’s always a slump during the league.
“They had a setback against Atletico Madrid last weekend, but I think Xabi Alonso’s start to the season is very good.”
Q: Do you feel as though this could be Pep Guardiola’s last season at Man City?
“It’s difficult to say right now. I believe Pep Guardiola is a coach who has already proven very capable in any situation. In this case, he hasn’t started well with City in this initial period, but I think there’s room for improvement to try and reach those top positions and get the team back into the Champions League.
“If there’s a coach qualified for these situations, I think it’s Guardiola.”
Q: How can Xabi Alonso find a balance between his star players?
“It’s a difficult situation. Everyone wants to play, but it’s true that some players offer a lot in attack, but perhaps not as much in defense. That’s why rotations are important, to bring players into midfield and get help in defense.
“Teams are very well prepared physically, and Real Madrid know this. That’s why I think Xabi Alonso often doesn’t risk playing three forwards, and instead uses a 4-4-2 system, which I believe works very well for Real Madrid with all their offensive potential.
Q: What might happen if a player like Vinicius Junior doesn’t get the minutes he wants?
“Every player wants to play. It’s important to manage that and be on hand helping players when they’re not playing, but also ensuring they’re ready when called upon.
“Players, especially at Real Madrid, can get angry or annoyed when not playing so, patience is key, knowing that minutes will come, and when they do, they must be taken advantage of.
“I imagine Xabi will manage this well, rotating players so everyone gets playing time for the good of the team.”
Q: Were you surprised that Sevilla signed Alexis Sanchez?
“I was surprised because there wasn’t much talk about that signing before it happened, but I think Alexis Sanchez is a world-class player that Sevilla are lucky to have.
“It’s true that lately, with signings, age is looked at a lot, especially physical condition for better development. However, I believe Alexis, with good minutes, will be a very important player for Sevilla.
“I am glad that veteran players are also signed, as they have experience that can help in the locker room.”
Q: How do you look back on your only season with Manchester City?
“Before my injury, it was one of my best seasons. I had a great season at Sevilla, and the season until my injury was one of the best I’ve ever had. I adapted very well to the Premier League, and my football was going very well at that moment.
“I scored goals in all competitions in my first year in England. It was the first time I left Spain to play, and I think those are good numbers.
“It was, if not the best, then my second-best season by number of goals. The previous season with Sevilla I scored more goals, which resulted in me signing for Manchester City.”
Q: What would your advice be to a player like Viktor Gyokeres?
“The Premier League is incredibly challenging. Any team can beat you because they are highly competitive and put in immense effort. I’m passionate about English football, I really enjoy it.
“You need to stay focused for the entire 90 minutes. Teams quickly gain an advantage through set pieces and counterattacks, leading to goals.
“Teams are often so physically strong and can play end-to-end. Other teams prioritize possession, but most can score at any moment.
“The start of a Premier League season is always difficult. There are always teams that unexpectedly rise to the top and others you expect to be there fall behind.
“They can spend the rest of the season playing catch-up and it’s not easy.”
Q: Will it be hard for Benjamin Sesko to thrive at Manchester United?
“Benjamin Sesko is a young player. When I played for Man City we were winning almost every match, so it was much easier for me to adapt.
“When you sometimes start and sometimes don’t it’s hard. When a striker scores, he always feels better about himself and contributes much more to the team due to the confidence he has in himself.
“Above all, it’s about patience. They are young players who still have a lot to contribute and cannot be asked to win games alone.
“I think it is unfair to give so much responsibility to such a young boy.
“The situation is similar for Benjamin Sesko as it was for me because he’s playing. He’s been playing almost every game and has scored once.”
Q: What advice would you give Etikite, who’s competing with Isak. Is it similar to your situation when you competed with Sergio Aguero and Edin Dzeko?
“He’s a player with competition, and when you have competition, you can’t relax or give up. You need to be focused every single day to perform as you should.
“I think competition is always good for a striker, for any player, and it makes you stay involved in the dynamic in every match without the option of relaxing. You know that the moment you relax or aren’t 100%, another coach will come and put in another teammate.”
Q: Can Unai Emery build a lasting legacy at Aston Villa?
“Unai Emery can build a lasting legacy at Aston Villa, because he is a coach who has done good things wherever he has been.
“I think it is important to also give confidence to the coach because, in the case of teams, I see it more here in Spain perhaps, but there are six league matches and a newly promoted team, for example, they dismiss the coach.
“So, what kind of project is that for a team? I think coaches need time, they need to get to know the players and the club.
“In this case, Unai knows it well. In this case, Unai, I think, is a coach who always gives his utmost to stay at the top, as he also showed last season, getting the team into Europe.
“He’s one of the coaches I personally have a lot of affection for and I know him well because I’ve worked with him and I know he will always get the best out of every team.”
Q: Could Monchi’s departure impact Unai Emery?
“It could have an impact, because besides being manager and coach, they are also friends. Maybe he doesn’t have that support anymore, but it is true that Unai knows what he has to do.
“He has worked in many teams without having Monchi next to him, who is a sensational sports director. But in the end, this is football, teammates arrive, others leave.
“I believe Emery is more than capable of carrying this forward, in the end, I think it’s the results. And the results are set by the team, the squad, the players.
“The moment they get two consecutive wins, it creates a positive dynamic both in the locker room and emotionally so that you free yourself from that tension of being near the bottom positions right now.
“The team’s attitude will only change with wins.”
Q: Could Andoni Iraola reach the highest level as a manager?
“Andoni Iraola has already demonstrated it. When he was at Rayo Vallecano, the team played so well.
“Now he’s in the Premier League, continuing at that level. I think that in the end, he is a very young coach. You have to give them time. He has just finished playing football and has started coaching. I think he needs time to gain those habits that coaches want.
“I am also at that moment now, doing the coaching course, and for me, I think the time a coach needs is important. In the end, when you are a player, you think you know everything, know everything in the sense of how to train, and when you start doing it, the situation changes a lot. You know absolutely nothing then.
“You have to start from scratch and he was in the first division with Rayo Vallecano, now he’s in the Premier League, and these experiences will be very important for his career.”
Q: How do you see Trent Alexander-Arnold’s place at Real Madrid?
“Well, it’s true that they are two different players. Dani Carvajal, in this case, is the captain of Madrid, he is a very important player for Madrid. Trent Alexander-Arnold will also need a little more time, perhaps, to get all the minutes he would like, because Carvajal is also at a good level. So, that’s another bit of management that I think Xabi will know how to handle.”
Q: Will Kylian Mbappe’s biggest goal be to win the Ballon d’Or?
“Every great player dreams of lifting the Ballon d’Or, and he is playing at a very high level, scoring many goals, and working hard for the team.
“This year, Kylian Mbappe’s mindset seems to have shifted, he’s much more involved defensively than last year, when he focused on scoring.
“But he also has exceptional talent in front of goal, which keeps him at the elite level.”
Q: Could you see Xabi Alonso ending up at Liverpool?
“I imagine he has a very special affection for Liverpool. It is true that the results will dictate if he is capable or not. He has done it in Germany; hopefully, he will do it in Madrid too.
“I am sure he has a long journey ahead. One of his favorite teams to coach or manage will be Liverpool, I do see it.”
Q: Have comparisons to Zinedine Zidane harmed Jude Bellingham?
“I think it could have harmed Jude Bellingham because we all knew how Zidane played and acted. It’s true that Jude is a player with so much potential. The injury also affected him from being at his best level for many moments of last season, and until the operation, he also looked very sore with the injury.
“We shouldn’t compare them. It’s never good to compare, especially when we’re comparing him to Zidane. Hopefully, he surpasses him, because that will mean he has grown a lot.
“But we are talking about a very young player who is, as they say, starting his career, and what Zidane did throughout his career was brilliant. So, for me, being compared could harm him.”
Q: Could Cole Palmer follow in the footsteps of Cristiano Ronaldo?
“Cole Palmer is a fantastic player. Chelsea is a great, beautiful team. But the truth is I do see him at Real Madrid.
“I see him at Real Madrid because he’s a player with incredible qualities. He has dribbling, finishing, strength, and physicality. I think he’s a player that, at a global level, every team will want to have.
“Surely from now until the end of the season, or in two years, Madrid or another team will be trying to make that signing.”
Q: What do you remember of Gary Neville’s time at Valencia?
“Gary Neville arrived at a difficult time for the club, Valencia was in turmoil due to issues with the president and board. This created immense pressure, particularly for the players.
“It wasn’t an ideal situation for a coach unfamiliar with the language and culture. Having experienced both English and Spanish football, I believe it was an unpleasant experience for him.
“While he was a capable coach, the timing of his arrival was simply not right given the club’s circumstances.”
Q: What was the reaction of the Valencia team when he arrived?
“He settled in well and adapted quickly to the dressing room. There was a very good atmosphere and harmony within the group at that time, but we also had the pressure of Valencia being at the bottom of the table. That always weighs heavily on a player.
“We couldn’t perform our best to change the situation, but I remember him arriving with a very different methodology. As soon as he arrived, he gave each player an iPad, and throughout the week, he would send us actions and videos of opponents and ourselves.
“I think his methodology was good because he had a lot of desire and enthusiasm to prove himself. Ultimately, neither he nor we could make it work.
“It was a shame because I have a very good relationship with him, and I think he also has a good relationship with me, so it was a pity we couldn’t continue for more years.”
Q: Are you surprised that he hasn’t managed again since?
“Yes, it surprises me because I considered him capable and qualified. Perhaps in Spain at that time, due to the language barrier, he didn’t get more opportunities, but in the Premier League, I would have given him more, based on my experience.
“For me, he was a good coach who, as I said, came with a very good attitude and a desire to improve. He had been a player, so he also possesses knowledge of the football world.
“These are decisions that perhaps he didn’t want to continue experiencing, and he hasn’t had the opportunity to continue coaching.”
Q: Could you ever imagine him coaching Manchester United?
“It also depends on the situation at Manchester United. I think he was a very important player for Manchester United. He’s a player who gave a lot to English football.
“Perhaps, similar to Valencia at that time, it’s a United team who haven’t been consistently at the top for a long time, and perhaps now wouldn’t be the best moment.
“But it is also true that changes come when the team is not in a good moment. I would try him, because, as I say, as a coach, I did like him.”
Q: How big a role could Marcus Rashford have at Barcelona this season?
“He’s a player who contributes a lot. While the team has other prominent players like Raphinha, Lamine Yamal, and Robert Lewandowski who might overshadow him, he possesses incredible qualities. I believe he’ll be an important player in the future.”
Q: What do you think about Nuno Espirito Santo being replaced by Ange Postecoglou?
“When the message to players from coaches is no longer effective, it leads to clubs changing coaches. It’s easier to change one person than twenty-five, so the coach is often replaced.
“Nuno did a lot of work at Valencia, qualifying the team for the Champions League in his first season, though the second was less successful.
“These are club decisions that must be respected, especially when results aren’t favorable, or the work isn’t aligned with their vision. You have to assume that responsibility.”
Q: What can Nuno Espiritio Santo bring to West Ham?
“He’s a football man and a former player who understands how to manage teams. I imagine he’ll try to implement a clear strategy.
“Having worked in the Premier League for many years, he’ll know the challenges ahead, especially since many teams expected to be in Europe are currently in the bottom positions. He’ll have a tough fight, but football is unpredictable, and he might just turn things around.”
Q: What are your memories of your time at Middlesbrough?
“I enjoyed it, yes, but at the end of the season, no, because we didn’t achieve the objective of staying up and we were relegated, and in the end, no player wants to be in that situation.
“The Premier League is a league that I love, that I enjoyed, we had a wonderful group of players and I think, well, it made me grow, grow in the sense of accepting the mistakes of failing the club after they placed that trust in you with the objective of staying up and not achieving it.
“But it is true that I enjoyed my time there. My son was also born there. So it is a city that I will always have a very special affection for.”
Q: How good would it be to see Middlesbrough back in the Premier League?
“I’d love to see a team with a beautiful fanbase that always treated me incredibly well. When you’re part of such a team, you want the best for them.
“As a Boro fan, I hope they return to the Premier League and never leave it again. It’s true, the Championship is very difficult, but hopefully, we can return to the Premier League soon.”
Q: Who was the most underrated player in the Euro 2012 Spain side?
“Well, for me there is a player I have a soft spot for, David Silva. It’s true that David played a lot in Euro 2012. I’ve had the others as teammates in the national team, but David I’ve had as a teammate in the club and it was a wonderful year for me.
“We understood each other very well, they call him ‘the magician’ here in Spain, because he is a magician. He is a player who drives, who dribbles, who scores goals. I think he is very complete.
“Being in the Premier League he also had that aggressiveness in defending, which perhaps due to his stature he might not seem to have.
“David is my favourite player among teammates with whom I’ve also been fortunate to play with many players, but for me David is the top.”
Q: Is David Silva the best player to have played in the Premier League?
“There have been very good midfielders in the Premier League. Of those I experienced in my time in England, Frank Lampard and Steven Gerrard come to mind.
“But offensively, for me as a striker, a player like him with that vision of the game, that last pass, I think it was fantastic to have him behind. I’m going to lean a little towards home and say it is David Silva.”
Q: Are the English national team a threat to Spain at the World Cup?
“Marcus Rashford, I believe, will be a very important player for the national team. Trent Alexander-Arnold, I think, will also be a key player.
“England has a great national team and I believe they will be trophy contenders. They compete and play very well, and when a team competes well, they already have 50% of the foundation.
“English players typically compete very well, and if you add quality, good tactics, and a good coach, then I think they will be one of the candidates to win the World Cup.”
Q: Did you ever have the chance to play for Celtic or Rangers?
“Both are big teams. While I don’t follow Scottish football closely, I do see them in Europe, and they have had some brilliant players.
“It’s hard to pick just one, but I would probably lean towards Rangers. A friend of mine, Nacho Novo, played there for many seasons, which might be why they’re more top of mind for me.
“I never received an offer from either, but if I had to choose, I’d pick Rangers, while still acknowledging Celtic is a great team.”