Real Madrid News
Real Madrid dressing room holds great respect for Barcelona centre-back
Ronald Araujo was one of the main protagonists for Barcelona when they secured a 1-0 victory over Real Madrid in midweek’s Copa Del Rey semifinal. It was a disappointing result for Madrid, who have succumbed to a defeat at the hands of their arch-rivals two times this year.
Despite Araujo’s heroics, a recent report from MARCA suggests Real Madrid have great respect for the Uruguayan international.
This is because the defender is considered to be a real professional, who has shown immense sporting integrity and has stood up for what is right. It was evident in the midweek contest when Araujo backed Alvaro Rodriguez.
The incident took place when Rodriguez, who has no experience in professional football, collided with Marc-Andre ter Stegen. It enabled the Barcelona players to sprint to Rodriguez and start hassling the youngster.
But Ronald Araujo prevented the situation by urging his teammates not to heckle the Real Madrid starlet. He physically tried to defend the player using his body – a gesture that was appreciated by the Real Madrid camp.
In addition, Araujo had spoken in favour of Vinicius Junior multiple times in the past, despite the two being direct competitors. It is another indicator of the defender’s sporting integrity that has helped the player establish himself as one of the faces of Xavi’s defensive unit.
Moreover, Araujo is known to be a huge admirer of former Real Madrid superstar Sergio Ramos. The Uruguayan international is greatly influenced by Ramos’ style of play and his aggression. He often watches his videos, in an attempt to improve himself further.
These are some of the reasons which put Araujo in a good light in front of the Real Madrid camp. However, the Barcelona starlet will once again become a rival when Los Blancos take on the Catalans in La Liga later this month.
Manchester City have now joined the ever-growing list of admirers for Celta Vigo midfielder and Real Madrid target Gabri Veiga, reports Jack Gaughan of the Daily Mail.
The 20-year-old midfielder has emerged as one of the breakout stars of La Liga this season, having impressed with his goalscoring abilities from the centre of the park. Indeed, the youngster has notched up nine goals in La Liga and his exploits have made the giants of Europe sit up and take notice.
Real Madrid are said to be interested in Veiga’s services heading into the summer. The Merengues have Luka Modric, Toni Kroos, and Dani Ceballos on expiring contracts and it is unlikely that all three will be renewed, especially with Jude Bellingham being on the agenda.
In case of Modric and Kroos, even if they stay, it will likely be for only a season at the most. Hence, Los Blancos could require more than one central midfielder come summer, with Veiga emerging as an option.
The 20-year-old was also attracting interest from the likes of Arsenal, Manchester United and Atletico Madrid. Now, Manchester City have also jumped on the bandwagon of clubs interested in Veiga’s services.
The Cityzens, who are battling Real Madrid for Bellingham as well, are set to lose Ilkay Gundogan in the summer when his contract expires. Meanwhile, Bernardo Silva’s future is also far from certain, thus necessitating the signing of another midfielder.
Veiga has a release clause worth €40 million in his contract with Celta Vigo, which should not be a problem for either Real Madrid or Manchester City.
Celta Vigo president Carlos Mourino recently admitted that the midfielder could leave the club in the summer, saying:
“We don’t want to sell Gabri Veiga, but they are going to buy him from us. And we can’t do anything there. We know some of his offers and it is impossible to reach them.
“There are several teams behind Gabri. Real Madrid? They haven’t asked us, we don’t know if they will have called the player. Of the top 10 in the Premier League, four have asked about him.”
It will certainly be interesting to see whether Real Madrid are prepared to go all out for Veiga’s signing or decide to entirely focus on their pursuit of Bellingham.
