Real Madrid News
Not Bellingham – Real Madrid face Liverpool competition in pursuit of midfield prodigy
Real Madrid offices have no rest, for there is always important planning pending for the present or future. The Spanish champions may have completed their objectives in the current transfer window, but the attention is now on the long-term targets.
Jude Bellingham is one such player whom Los Blancos hope to sign in the coming windows, but they face strong competition from Liverpool in his pursuit. Interestingly, the Borussia Dortmund star is not the only player for whom the two European giants are locking horns.
According to reports from TyC Sports, Real Madrid and Liverpool are interested in Benfica’s young star Enzo Fernandez.
Yet, there is a fundamental difference. The Merseyside team want to sign the Argentine in the current window as an immediate reinforcement while Real Madrid see him as a signing for next year.
The 21-year-old prodigy is considered to be the creme de la creme of South American youngsters because of his versatility. Not only is his defensive play on point but his ability to break down defences with his incisive passes makes him special.
The Argentine signed for Benfica from River Plate last month. His deal with the Portuguese side is for five years, meaning that his signing will not come cheap.
Last season, Fernandez made 28 appearances for the Argentine side, scoring ten goals and providing seven assists in the process. This season, he already has one goal to his name in just four league appearances for Benfica.
It remains to be seen if Real Madrid pursue both Bellingham and Fernandez next summer. However, given that they already have Aurelien Tchouameni and Eduardo Camavinga, one would expect the club to try for only one more star midfielder.
Real Madrid News
Real Madrid forward Vinicius Jr. admits finishing problem after another frustrating night vs Elche: ‘Can’t miss that much’
Vinicius Jr.’s difficult start in front of goal continued against Elche, and the Real Madrid forward did not need anyone to tell him he had missed another chance to make the difference.
The Brazilian finished the night without a goal despite having chances to get on the scoresheet, while his teammates could only watch from the bench as opportunities went begging.
Jose Mourinho had already identified the problem before kick-off, bluntly pointing to the issue facing his forward, stating, “He’s missing the goal.”
Vini offered an equally frank assessment afterwards.
Rather than hide from another frustrating evening, he accepted responsibility on social media: “The goals will come back; I can’t miss that much…”
Two chances, no finish for Vinicius
Vinicius had two particularly clear openings against Elche, but neither produced the finish Real Madrid needed from their star forward.
The first arrived when he found himself one-on-one with the opposition goalkeeper.
Instead of finding the net, Vinicius caught the ball with the tip of his foot and sent his effort wide. Arda Guler was available during the move and called for the ball, but Vini backed himself to finish the chance.
He had another opportunity after the interval, this time following an excellent pass from Guler during a quick Real Madrid transition. Again, though, Vinicius could not find the target.
His evening ended in the 68th minute, with Mourinho deciding the Brazilian was tired and turning his attention towards Sunday’s Atletico Madrid derby.
Mourinho has a bigger decision to make
The numbers show why Vinicius’ finishing has become a talking point. He managed five shots against Elche, but only one was on target and none found the net.
After seven appearances this season, the Brazilian has scored just once, which is a striking return for a player Real Madrid rely upon to provide a major share of their attacking threat.
Ultimately, though, Real Madrid found another route to victory, with Arda Guler, Kylian Mbappe and Carlos Espi providing the goals in the 3-2 comeback.
