Real Madrid News
Ancelotti really likes Chelsea forward, open to negotiating with Real Madrid for ‘big money’
Real Madrid will be looking to sign a striker this summer even after Karim Benzema’s decision to reject the mammoth offer from Al-Ittihad worth more than €100 million per year, excluding other benefits such as image rights and advertising deals.
They are looking to invest in a player that can fix the position long-term but also someone with enough range in their game to plug other holes in the team.
As such, one name that has come up in recent times is Chelsea’s Kai Havertz. The rumours, as surprising as they are, are driven by Carlo Ancelotti, who is reportedly a huge fan of the player, as per a report by Fabrizio Romano.
Real Madrid believe that Havertz is the kind of creative player that Madrid are missing right now in their squad, and believe he would be a good fit for the team.
Further, with Marco Asensio leaving the club on a free transfer, they have to reinforce the attack either way, and believe that Havertz’s ability to fit in multiple positions could be very helpful in the short-term.
Chelsea are stuck in a financial and squad limbo after spending a ton of money during the last summer transfer window. They will have to shed a lot of their roster in an attempt to comply with Financial Fair Play rules.
As such, they are open to negotiating with Real Madrid for Havertz. He is not an untouchable player for the Chelsea management.
However, Romano has denied rumours suggesting that Madrid could pursue Havertz as part of a loan-plus-option-to-buy deal.
In fact, the reporter says that Chelsea will be chasing a big deal to allow the 23-year-old to leave Stamford Bridge this summer.
They signed him for over €80 million in the summer of 2020, and are confident about his market value despite underwhelming performances so far across three seasons.
Real Madrid are already considering some options to reinforce their attack this summer – players that would act as backup to Benzema. The deal for Joselu is reportedly close to completion, while Roberto Firmino is also on the cards.
Real Madrid News
Mbappe hits out at claims on his unhappiness at Real Madrid: ‘Angry at my great aunt too’
Kylian Mbappe has been in the news for a plethora of reasons in recent weeks, starting with his injury and surprise vacation. Beyond that, the Ballon d’Or saga has kept him in the spotlight for a reasonable while now.
The Frenchman, after all, has not held back in speaking out about why he deserves to win the prestigious individual award, and while it is perfectly okay to campaign for the award, it is something that has not usually been done in the past.
In terms of his goalscoring numbers, there is no doubt that Mbappe should be a frontrunner for the award. His lack of a single trophy for both club and country, however, works against his chances.
Mbappe’s sarcastic reply to baseless rumours
Earlier today, there were reports of Kylian Mbappe being angry with Zinedine Zidane and Real Madrid for not campaigning for him to win the Ballon d’Or this year.
The rumours, needless to say, portrayed the player in a very bad light and made it seem like the club not making public gestures to acknowledge and back his campaign affected him personally.
Now, the player has himself come out to lash out at the journalists, albeit in a sarcastic manner. Commenting directly below the post making the claim via Fabrizio Romano, the player wrote,
“Yes, yes, I even got angry with my great aunt too.”
Mbappe’s ability to deal with such reports with a tinge of humour, needless to say, is impressive and it can only be good for his image that he spoke out and cut off the news at its roots.
Set to return
There has been significant concern around Mbappe’s fitness in recent weeks after the player left the French national team with an injury after their first game.
The initial diagnosis appeared worrying, but it soon came to light that the player had avoided a major setback by a hair’s breadth.
Now, there is increasing hope that the Frenchman will be back for Real Madrid’s first game after the break against Villarreal, possibly even as a starter.
Needless to say, that comes as a massive positive for Jose Mourinho’s plans ahead of a crucial stretch of the season.
