Real Madrid News
21-year-old Real Madrid prodigy on the radars of La Liga rivals – report
Real Madrid starlet Sergio Arribas has been one of the best performers for the club’s Castilla outfit for the past couple of years. However, first-team opportunities have been hard to come by for the 21-year-old under Carlo Ancelotti.
But, if not at Real Madrid, the youngster could end up playing first-division football at a different team next season, as La Liga club Girona are interested in securing his services in the summer.
This report comes from journalist June Lavin, who states that Arribas is very well-liked by Girona manager Michel, who has visited the Valdebebas ground to watch him in action, as well as the Catalan club’s director Quique Carcel.
Arribas, 21, is enjoying another fine season with Raul Gonzalez’s Castilla outfit. The versatile attacking midfielder has racked up a return of 13 goals and eight assists this season with the subsidiary squad.
When given a chance with the first team at the FIFA Club World Cup earlier this year, Arribas scored a goal for Ancelotti’s side as well.
Previous reports have claimed that Arribas could be promoted to the senior team next season at Real Madrid, although a final call has not been taken yet.
However, with the possibility of Brahim Diaz returning to the club in the summer, coupled with Marco Asensio’s potential renewal and the recent interest in Samuel Chukwueze, game-time could become hard to come by for the Spanish prodigy.
Arribas’ entourage, as per the report, believe that the 21-year-old will be playing first-division football next season.
“Next year, if everything continues like this, he will be in First Division,” his camp says.
They also state that Girona could be a good fit for the youngster due to the way they play.
“Because of Girona’s style of play, Arribas would adapt very quickly. It is a profile that teams that usually have the ball like a lot.”
Real Madrid loaned out Reinier Jesus to Girona this past summer, but the Brazilian has struggled to make an impact. They also sold left-back Miguel Gutierrez to the Catalan club and he is doing well.
Whether Arribas follows in their footsteps and becomes the next Real Madrid youngster to join Girona remains to be seen. His current contract with the Merengues runs until 2025 and if the club decide to sanction his departure, it will not be a popular decision among the fans.
After a month into the new season, Aurelien Tchouameni is finally back in action for Real Madrid.
The Frenchman made his first appearance of the season for the Merengues last night against Inter Milan after recovering from the muscular injury that delayed his campaign.
His return to fitness had raised questions over where he would fit into Mourinho’s plans.
Tchouameni has been a regular in Real Madrid’s midfield for several seasons under different managers, but the end of last season was far less straightforward.
His confrontation with Federico Valverde, combined with speculation over his future at the club, created uncertainty about his position. His lack of a proper pre-season also appeared to put him behind other midfield options.
Bernardo Silva had established himself as an important figure, while Eduardo Camavinga was also ahead of Tchouameni in terms of match fitness.
With Real Madrid looking for greater creativity in midfield, there were questions over whether the Frenchman would still be a first-choice player.
Key for Mourinho
According to AS (h/t Bernabeu Digital), however, Mourinho has no such doubts. Tchouameni remains a key player for the Portuguese coach and is expected to be a starter.
Mourinho sees the French international as a midfielder without a direct replacement in the squad.
For Jose, Tchouameni provides something that none of the other midfielders in the squad do – a more defensive and positional presence, combining his tactical discipline with considerable physical strength.
His ability to shield the defence and provide balance could be particularly important for a Real Madrid side that want to defend aggressively and attack quickly in transition.
For that reason, his absence at the start of the campaign has not changed the manager’s view of his importance.
Mourinho faces a midfield selection problem
The challenge for Mourinho now is finding a way to fit all the pieces together.
If Tchouameni is guaranteed a starting position and Valverde is considered untouchable as captain, the obvious consequence is that Bernardo could find himself starting from the bench.
The summer arrival had been given an important role in helping Real Madrid control and distribute possession from deeper positions.
However, with Tchouameni and Valverde both occupying midfield places, Mourinho cannot accommodate everyone in the same lineup.
How the Portuguese coach manages that competition will be interesting to see in the coming weeks.
