Real Madrid News
Ancelotti has not asked Real Madrid to sign another striker, will bring it up next week
Regardless of what has been said in the media regarding Real Madrid’s plan to sign a centre-forward, Spanish publication MARCA (h/t Madrid Universal) has claimed that manager Carlo Ancelotti still has not given his opinion regarding the issue.
This means the Italian has not spoken about Harry Kane, Roberto Firmino or Richarlison for that matter to the management as they continue to assess the striking options for the upcoming season.
Madrid’s urge to sign a centre-forward comes on the back of the fact that Karim Benzema’s future is now in limbo. The Frenchman has received a lucrative offer from Saudi Arabia, worth up to €200 million for two years, along with other benefits.
It is said that the offer from the Middle East arrived just before Madrid’s away game against Sevilla in the league. Considering the money involved, the team from the capital city can now ponder the option of looking for a replacement.
At the moment, they are open to all possibilities. First up, if the player wants to continue, they are ready to offer him a contract extension until 2024. If not, they will be forced to look for an out-an-out centre-forward.
Whoever comes in as Benzema’s replacement will be a short-term option as Madrid already have big plans for the summer of 2024, with the arrivals of Kylian Mbappe and Erlking Haaland slated. In turn, Madrid have turned their attention to Espanyol striker Joselu.
As reported before, the 33-year-old will arrive on loan for the 2023/24 season with no fee involved. All Madrid need to do is pay him his salary. Joselu’s arrival would certainly establish a sense of relief, but if Benzema departs, Madrid will go back to owing a solitary striker.
Up until now, Ancelotti has refused to name names, but it is said that he has his targets shortlisted. However, as stated earlier, he has not talked about any big names so far.
Aurelien Tchouameni has had an exciting start to his career at Real Madrid. Since joining the club for almost €80 million last summer, the young Frenchman has now become a pivotal figure in Real Madrid’s midfield unit.
However, prior to his move to Santiago Bernabeu, the midfielder was closely linked with a move to Paris Saint-Germain.
In a recent interview, Tchouameni opened up on his links to PSG but revealed his decision to join Real Madrid.
Aurelien Tchouameni on PSG links
Talking about speculations linking him to PSG, Tchouameni said (h/t Madrid Zone), “PSG? Frankly, I thought about it. It’s a very big European club, we want the French clubs to succeed.”
“But honestly, when Real Madrid calls you, it’s very complicated to say no,” Tchouameni added.
The midfielder was linked with a move to PSG during his time at AS Monaco. Les Parisiens wanted to sign the youngster as part of their plans to reinforce the midfield unit.
Tchouameni, though, ended up opting for a move to Real Madrid, which turned out to be a prudent decision from the midfielder’s end.
Tchouameni’s career at Real Madrid
Aurelien Tchouameni made a total of 50 competitive appearances during his maiden season at Real Madrid.
Although the Frenchman was not entirely a first-team regular in Carlo Ancelotti’s setup, his stature in the team is expected to grow in the coming years.
Especially as Toni Kroos and Luka Modric move on at the end of the season, there is scope for Tchouameni to become a first-team regular in the Real Madrid midfield in the years to come.
The former AS Monaco starlet has already played a crucial role in the starting eleven so far this season and it is only going to continue as the season progresses.
