Real Madrid News
Arsenal emerge as strong contenders to sign £70 million-rated Real Madrid target
In a major development, The Guardian’s Jacob Steinberg is reporting that Arsenal have emerged as strong contenders in the race to sign Chelsea attacker Kai Havertz, who is also a summer transfer target for Real Madrid.
Having bid goodbye to Karim Benzema, Marco Asensio, Eden Hazard, and Mariano Diaz, Real Madrid are in desperate need of replenishing their front line considering that Vinicius Jr and Rodrygo Goes are the only two senior forwards left on the club’s books.
A move for Harry Kane had been in the works only for Kylian Mbappe to pop up on the Merengues’ agenda after his announcement about not wanting to renew beyond 2024 at PSG.
But with more than one attacking signing the need of the hour, Chelsea’s Havertz has also been discussed as a potential target.
Previous reports had suggested that the Blues might demand a fee in excess of €60 million for the 24-year-old German international – a figure that Real Madrid are unwilling to reach, leading to the deal coming to a standstill.
Now, though, Arsenal could be poised to take advantage of the situation as they have expressed an interest in signing Havertz. The former Bayer Leverkusen starlet, for his part, has told Chelsea that he wants to leave the club in the summer.
As mentioned earlier, it has previously been claimed that Chelsea are seeking a fee of around €60 million plus add-ons for Havertz. But The Guardian states that the Blues will look for at least £70 million (€81.9 million) for their forward, who still has a contract with the club until 2025.
It could further dissuade Real Madrid from making a move for Havertz, considering that they have already spent €103 million on Jude Bellingham and will need a massive sum to sign Mbappe from PSG.
So, as things stand, Havertz’s inflated price tag, coupled with Arsenal’s strong interest in him, could act as deterrents in Real Madrid’s pursuit of him.
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.
