Real Madrid News
Arsenal interested in signing €130 million Real Madrid flop, club optimistic about move
As Real Madrid seem set to announce a new set of marquee signings in June, fans might be tempted to go back and look at how the last marquee signing — Eden Hazard — fared at the club.
Eden Hazard was expected to be the next big name for Los Blancos after Cristiano Ronaldo’s departure.
The Chelsea star was one of the best players in the world at the time of his transfer, scoring 16 goals and providing 15 assists in the 2018-19 Premier League season.
Since then, his decline has been exponential. He has been dealing with injuries since his move, and has fallen out of the Real Madrid pecking order with Vinicius Jr. and Marco Asensio preferred over him.
Now that Kylian Mbappe and possibly Erling Haaland are arriving, there is no longer any space for the Belgian in the team.
According to reports from Santi Aouna of Foot Mercato, Arsenal are interested in signing the winger on loan with an option to buy. The Premier League side met with the player’s entourage in London earlier this week and are optimistic about the move.
Mikel Arteta’s side have found momentum in recent months, winning six of their last eight games across all competitions. They are favourites to finish in the top four, and their upward curve could tempt Hazard to consider a move back to England.
Emil Smith-Rowe and Gabriel Martinelli currently compete for a starting spot on the left wing and will be Hazard’s biggest hurdles should he join Arsenal.
In 17 La Liga appearances this season, the 31-year-old has only one assist to his name. He has failed to find the back of the net in the league and averages less than one shot per game.
Real Madrid News
Real Madrid not worried about Bellingham’s knee injury, Dortmund asking for €150 million
Heading into the 2023 summer transfer window, Real Madrid had one main priority on their minds – signing Jude Bellingham from Borussia Dortmund amidst interest from several other parties involved.
With Manchester City, Chelsea, Manchester United, and Liverpool also chasing his signature, Madrid knew it was going to take a lot more than just a €120 million offer and a blank cheque to convince Bellingham.
Eventually, it seems the player’s desire to join Madrid came through. He rejected advances from the Premier League, and eventually chose the defending Champions League winners as his next home.
There are certainly doubts with the transfer, though, as there would be, with any €120 million signing. With this transfer, it is Bellingham’s knee troubles. The Englishman might have to undergo surgery to treat his knee, and is also expected to miss England’s EURO 2024 qualifiers.
A knee surgery at the age of 19 would, and probably should be a scary prospect for any player and club. Real Madrid, though, are not worried, as per a report by SPORT1.
They want him to form a ‘royal midfield’ quadrant with Aurelien Tchouameni, Eduardo Camavinga, and Federico Valverde.
The transfer is expected to close next week, as Borussia Dortmund advanced negotiations with Real Madrid after losing the Bundesliga title on the final matchday.
The two club presidents, Hans-Joachim Watzke and Florentino Perez, have a ton of mutual respect for one another, and want the transfer to be closed promptly so both clubs can move forward with the rest of the transfer window.
For Dortmund, that means finding a replacement for Bellingham, and reinforcing their squad to challenge for the Bundesliga title next season. For Madrid, meanwhile, it would mean finding Karim Benzema’s replacement.
The final details of the transfer fee are still remaining, though, with Dortmund hoping to get nearly €150 million out of the deal.
