Real Madrid News
Bayer Leverkusen duo on Real Madrid radar for the summer – report
According to reports from BILD, Real Madrid are keeping a close eye on two Bundesliga stars playing for Bayer Leverkusen. Moussa Diaby and Jeremie Frimpong are the two players drawing the club’s interest.
The French forward has been in sensational form this season in the German league and a glance at his statistics reveals why the Merengues see him as a valuable option.
In 29 starts for Bayer Leverkusen, the 23-year-old has scored nine goals and provided seven assists. Further, Diaby averages 1.9 key passes per game and has created 14 big chances.
Los Blancos’ interest in the French international boils down to the absence of an undisputed starter on the right wing in the squad. Not only can Diaby operate on the right but also has the versatility to play on the left wing or as a secondary striker.
Jeremie Frimpong, on the other hand, has been a valuable asset for Xabi Alonso’s system. The 22-year-old primarily operates as a wide right-midfielder in Leverkusen’s 3-4-3 system but is capable of rendering his services as a more than able right-back.
Dani Carvajal and Lucas Vazquez are not getting any younger, and it is clear that the Merengues need fresh feet at right back in the years to come. At just 22 years of age, Frimpond fits in as a viable solution.
The youngster has scored eight goals and provided six assists for his club in the league so far this season, in addition to three successful dribbles per game. Defensively, meanwhile, he averages close to ten defensive actions in ninety minutes.
Both stars have contracts until the summer of 2025 with Bayer Leverkusen, and their transfer will not be economically simple affairs. However, there is always the possibility of Real Madrid waiting for a season to ease negotiations and grab their man for a better price.
Cristiano Ronaldo’s move to Saudi Arabia has triggered a wave of massive establishment within the country so much so that the league has approached players like Lionel Messi, Sergio Busquets, Sergio Ramos and even Karim Benzema.
Benzema’s departure from Real Madrid is imminent and if a report from Diaro AS is to be believed, the Frenchman contacted his former Madrid teammate, Ronaldo, to ask him for information about the Saudi league, living conditions and other teams.
All this because it is said that the legendary Frenchman has received a lucrative offer from the newly crowned Saudi Pro League champions Al Ittihad. As reported before, the star striker will earn more than €100 million per year across his two-year contract with the Saudi team.
At the moment, the Saudi government has approved all of Benzema’s requests and while it is said that he can join the team of his choice, Al Ittihad’s recent flirting had made them absolute favourites.
That said, the transfer may have taken a u-turn recently, as Benzema spoke about staying at Real Madrid for the foreseeable future.
“Speak to the fans? Speak about what? Why should I speak of the future if I’m in Madrid?”, Benzema said.
“It’s the internet speaking, and reality is not the internet.”
In a recent turn of events, Helder Costa openly spoke about Benzema’s arrival, saying that his team is ‘excited about the arrival of the Balon d’Or winner.’ As if that is not enough, a club fan also showed a Karim Benzema edit on the big screen during their title celebrations.
Meanwhile, since the transfer is not confirmed, Real Madrid continue to be uninformed of Benzema’s decision. And this remains a major problem for the team from the capital city as their summer transfer plan hinges on the continuity of the Frenchman.
At the moment, the team is said to be closing in on the signing of Joselu from Espanyol. However, it must be noted that the forward will only be arriving on a season-long loan as Madrid already have big plans for the summer of 2024, with Erling Haaland and Kylian Mbappe both lined up.
