Real Madrid defender Pepe says he cannot envisage his long-term centre back partner Sergio Ramos leaving the club this summer.
Ramos’ future at the Bernabeu has been in doubt for several weeks amid reports of a breakdown in his relationship with club president Florentino Perez and a lack of progress in negotiations over a new contract. But Portuguese powerhouse Pepe, who has played the vast majority of his 286 games for Los Blancos alongside Ramos, believes their partnership will resume in the forthcoming season.
“Nobody can imagine a Real Madrid without Sergio,” he said. “He is our captain and I’m sure he will stay here. Everybody at the club loves him. I hope he stays because he is our captain and the man we look up to.”
Pepe, 32, who has spent eight years at the Bernabeu, was evasive on the subject of his own contract, which only has one more season to run. The delay in agreeing a new deal is thought to hinge upon the length of the contract, with Pepe favouring a three-year deal until 2018 while the club wants to offer just two years.
But he insisted he is putting off-the-pitch matters out of his mind as preparations under new boss Rafa Benitez continue, saying: “I’m just pleased that I am able to work at this club. Everything else is down to my agent and the president. I’m just focused on winning silverware.”
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Boss Benitez, meanwhile, has handed over responsibility to president Perez to resolve the Ramos issue and believes his captain’s future will be resolved in the next few days.
Perez has flown to China to join up with the squad’s camp, and a meeting with Ramos is near the top of his to-do list.
Benitez has firmly stated that he wants Ramos to stay but conceded the matter was out of his own hands as he said: “During dinner, the president told me they are going to have a private chat, but I haven’t had the chance to talk to either of them yet.”
Benitez now has his full complement of players together following the arrival of James Rodriguez ahead of tonight’s friendly meeting with Inter Milan in Guangzhou.
The Colombian international was given extended leave after appearing for his country in Copa America, but he has now joined up with his teammates and could feature from the bench against Inter.
The early signs are that Benitez will be forced to choose either James or Isco for a place in his starting line-up when the competitive season gets underway, and the coach admitted it will not be an easy selection, saying: “Both of them are going to make my job much harder.”
