Real Madrid News
Ancelotti could recover Real Madrid defender for Copa final, Modric still a doubt
The past two weeks have seen Real Madrid quite simply forfeit the La Liga title race. Los Blancos’ two defeats in their last three games present Barcelona with the chance to wrap up the title in their next fixture.
However, the two weeks that lie ahead could compensate for that in some style. After all, Real Madrid not only play in the UEFA Champions League semifinal but also the final of the Copa del Rey in this period.
A fully fit Real Madrid squad would stand a great chance on both fronts, even against Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City. However, injuries to Luka Modric and David Alaba mean that the manager could be without some of his key stars for the period to come.
According to reports from MARCA, Alaba has made good progress since his return to group training. He is expected to be available against Manchester City and is not ruled out for the clash against Osasuna.
Modric, meanwhile, is a doubt for the cup final. There is a good chance, however, that he will be available for the first leg against Manchester City.
The recovery of both players has been miraculous, to say the least. Alaba’s hamstring injury was expected to take around three weeks to resolve, making him a doubt for the clash against the Premier League champions.
Clearly, his healing has progressed ahead of schedule as he returned to team training earlier this week.
Modric, on the other hand, stunned even the club administration by taking a trip to a specialist in Belgrade to fast-track his recovery.
The midfielder, who was slated to definitely miss the first leg of the UCL semifinal, participated in part of the group training session yesterday, and could be in line to make a much earlier return than anticipated, although his involvement against Osasuna remains a doubt.
Real Madrid News
Harry Kane ‘very close’ to completing Real Madrid move, only final details remain – report
Jude Bellingham’s move to Real Madrid was finally closed earlier today as officially confirmed by Borussia Dortmund on their website. Yet, the offices at Santiago Bernabeu have not even taken a break to celebrate their success.
According to reports from Alfredo Pedullà, Los Blancos are now completely focused on the acquisition of Harry Kane. The English striker’s arrival is very close to approaching closure and only a few details remain to be sorted.
The Real Madrid and Tottenham Hotspur representatives reportedly held a meeting today over the striker’s transfer. The agenda was to agree on a number for the transfer fee.
The Premier League side began the proceedings with an expectation of €100 to €110 million in exchange for Kane. However, the Merengues suggested a lower point at €80 to €90 million, albeit with the option to include bonuses.
There is not much separating the two parties at the moment, and the minor gap will be bridged in the coming days. Overall, the meeting ended with a broad understanding between the two clubs.
Carlo Ancelotti sees the English striker as the centre-piece of his attack for next season given the recent departure of Karim Benzema. After all, Kane has been one of football’s most consistent goalscorers over the past decade.
Yet, Los Blancos cannot afford to let their guard down with one signing and will need to rope in at least two more names in attack to serve as backup options. The exits of Mariano Diaz, Marco Asensio, and Eden Hazard leave them with no squad depth, after all.
Kane has scored 30, 17, and 23 goals in his last three seasons in the Premier League and is the epitome of consistency. Further, he had three assists in his most recent league season and created 14 big chances.
