Real Madrid News
18-year-old Real Madrid prodigy will do pre-season with the first-team under Ancelotti
At 18 years of age, Nico Paz has been creating waves at Real Madrid. The Argentine prodigy is seen as one of the camp’s best products in recent years and many see him to be ready to join forces with the first team.
In fact, senior team star Toni Kroos openly called out for Paz’s inclusion into the first team training sessions earlier this month.
“This boy (Nico Paz) should train with us every day because he’s so good.”
According to reports from Mundo Deportivo, Kroos’ words have not gone unheard. Los Blancos are willing to take the next step with the wonderkid and have formulated a plan for his development.
For starters, Nico will be included as part of the first-team squad for pre-season that is scheduled to start in less than a month.
This comes as a big opportunity for the starlet to bring his prowess out in front of Carlo Ancelotti and push for a first-team spot soon. Moreover, a strong showing on the United States pre-season tour could pave the way for first-team minutes for him next season.
While his inclusion in pre-season appears decided, it is unlikely that any level of showing will directly win him a shirt in the senior side. After all, Los Blancos see him as the marquee player for the Castilla side, at least for next season.
There have been talks of a move away from the Bernabeu on loan for Paz, and the report confirms that there are multiple parties interested in his acquisition. However, the chance of him leaving the club is slim and would be only to his former club Tenerife even if it happened.
An attacking midfielder by trade, Paz will face strong competition for minutes in pre-season considering the wealth of options at the manager’s disposal. Given that it is a period of testing and evaluation, however, Ancelotti will look to give him prominence over some established names.
Real Madrid News
Bellingham on his special assist in Girona 0-3 Real Madrid: “Been watching Luka every day”
Real Madrid usurped the top spot in the La Liga standings from arch-rivals FC Barcelona as they defeated Girona 3-0 away at Estadi Montilivi.
It was a fine performance from Carlo Ancelotti’s men against Michel’s side, with the returning Jude Bellingham leading the way for his team.
After being benched against Las Palmas in midweek, the England international returned to the starting XI today and turned in yet another Man of the Match display for Real Madrid.
It all started with Joselu opening the scoring just 15 minutes into the game, with Bellingham assisting the goal with a special, outside-of-the-boot pass from the left side, bringing back memories of Luka Modric doing something similar a few years ago.
Talking about that special pass, Bellingham said: “I’ve been watching Luka every day for months. I just want to be creative. It took the pressure off us at the start.”
On the match and the result, the 20-year-old stated that it was a good day across the board for Real Madrid, as he said: “It was an important win. They were doing very well. We made a statement of intent to La Liga. Three goals, a clean sheet….”
It has been a truly remarkable start to life at Real Madrid for Bellingham and expressing how he feels to play for the Merengues, he exclaimed:
“I feel very good. I have freedom of movement and I’m enjoying football. Whenever I put on this shirt I always try to do my best.”
Apart from assisting Joselu’s opener, Bellingham also got his name on the scoresheet in the second period. Talking about his goal, the wonderkid said:
“It wasn’t a very good finish. I could have scored some more, but the important thing is the victory.”
The strike meant that Bellingham now has seven goals and two assists across all competitions for Real Madrid. Reflecting on his brilliant start, he said:
“It’s a good start, not bad. I would like to continue on this path and I won’t always score or assist, but I will always give my best.”
Bellingham’s celebration has been a huge hit, with kids in school, players from other clubs, and many others mimicking it. When asked how his special celebration originated, he replied:
“I don’t know where I first celebrated. I think it was with Birmingham. It’s an inspiration to see kids doing it in schools. It’s a wonderful thing.”
Source: AS
Sesan Odesanya
June 30, 2023 at 5:09 pm
The problem with Madrid is that the youngsters are never give enough time to impress. The club would prefer to bid for another 18-year old in Turkey instead of given Castilla players a chance. No trust in their own academy .