Real Madrid News
Ancelotti addresses Real Madrid future: “This season and next season and then again”
Speaking to Rai Sport (h/t Fabrizio Romano), Carlo Ancelotti has confirmed that he is committed to Real Madrid and wants to spend a few more years at the club.
The 63-year-old returned to Real Madrid last year, taking over the reins of the club for the second time after having managed Los Blancos between 2013 and 2015.
Ancelotti signed a three-year deal with the club upon returning and enjoyed tremendous success in his first season back, winning the La Liga title and the UEFA Champions League trophy, along with the Spanish Super Cup.
The Italian has also led Real Madrid to the UEFA Super Cup this season while they have made a fine start to the defence of their La Liga and Champions League titles.
Ancelotti had previously hinted that he might consider retiring once his spell at Real Madrid would come to an end.
Now, he has once again reiterated his stance that he is not thinking about anything other than his spell at the Santiago Bernabeu and wants to continue as the Merengues’ head coach for a few more years.
“What I see in my future is Real Madrid. This season and next season, Real Madrid. Then again Real Madrid and one more time Real Madrid! Then, we will see,” Ancelotti said.
In his second stint at Real Madrid, Ancelotti has managed 66 matches so far, leading the team to 48 victories (D9 L9).
None of the nine losses have come in the ongoing campaign, as Los Blancos remain unbeaten in all competitions, although they did drop points against Osasuna on Sunday – the first match they failed to win this season.
Real Madrid News
Real Madrid weighing up January move for €70 million-rated Arsenal midfielder – report
Real Madrid’s midfield is the one department where Jose Mourinho sees clear scope for improvement, especially given that the club did not sanction his wish for a top midfield signing in the summer.
While Bernardo Silva has chipped in as a handy option to feature in the deep midfield, the club still lacks a controlling and creative option who can glue the team together.
In that sense, there is a clear lacuna that Real Madrid need to address and Defensa Central brings to light that the club have opened up to a potential target.
Zubimendi emerges as a target
Indeed, the player in question is Arsenal’s Martin Zubimendi who the club have seen as a target for a long time, and Real Madrid could even go on to sign him in January.
The Spanish international has not started off the new season well under Mikel Arteta and has primarily featured as a substitute. He does, thus, see a move to Madrid with good eyes in every sense.
Real Madrid, for their part, have not ruled out his signing as was reported in recent months and there is even a chance they seriously pursue him in the winter transfer window as a mid-season fix.
The possible fee
The Spanish outlet also add that Zubimendi’s move to Real Madrid could be completed for a fee similar to what Arsenal paid for the player for his transfer from Real Sociedad – €70 million.
Mourinho’s insistence on making a new midfield signing is no secret, and with a clear target now in mind, the board could well back him with the player he wishes.
Notably, however, even Chelsea are seriously interested in his signing.
So far, Federico Valverde has been Real Madrid’s mainstay in midfield, and Aurelien Tchouameni’s return will change the team’s dynamics in the department.
Neither player, however, offers the control and distribution skill set that the team direly lack.
A big part of whether or not the club pushes for Zubimendi, however, will depend on how the Valverde-Tchouameni combination plays out in the coming months. It is, after all, the manager’s first-choice combination for big games.
