Real Madrid News
Bayer Munich leading the race to sign 25-year-old Real Madrid target – report
According to reports from Ruben Uria, Dani Olmo has been on Real Madrid’s radar for several months now.
The administration at Santiago Bernabeu closely followed his development at RB Leipzig and hoped to lure him back to Spain if the conditions were amicable. However, Bayern Munich currently lead the race for the forward.
The 25-year-old is no stranger to Spanish football as he underwent his early training in Barcelona’s famed La Masia. Olmo pushed for a move out of the club after finding it difficult to break into the first team at the time and joined Dinamo Zagreb for regular minutes.
In January 2020, RB Leipzig shelled out €20 million for his services and it is safe to say that he has impressed with the Germans.
In 21 Bundesliga appearances this season, the 25-year-old has scored two goals and provided four assists for Marco Rose’s side. Further, he averages 1.5 key passes per game and has created eight big chances.
Olmo also scored once and provided three assists in 60 minutes in Leipzig’s recent win over Freiburg in the DFB Pokal. His numbers this season have thus sparked a serious interest from Europe’s elite and a big money move in June is not off the cards.
Barcelona are also interested, but are waiting until 2024 to make any move as the player becomes a free agent.
The Spanish International’s contract with the German side runs until the summer of 2024, giving him complete leverage over his future.
However, given that Real Madrid already have specific targets that they wish to spend big on, Olmo could have to wait another season if he wishes to join Real Madrid.
Los Blancos see the youngster to be an ideal replacement for Marco Asensio should the Spaniard choose to leave in June. However, with Bayern Munich now involved, Florentino Perez could be forced to rethink his strategy.
Real Madrid News
Real Madrid resolve their pitch problems as the Bernabeu surface returns to good condition
After years of problems with the pitch, Real Madrid now believe that those issues are now a thing of the past, reports MARCA.
For several seasons, the playing surface at the Santiago Bernabeu had become one of Real Madrid’s biggest headaches. Five pitch changes in a single season, paint used to disguise its poor appearance on television and criticism from all sides.
The club had been trying to solve the problem for some time and now, they believe they have finally found an answer.
The Bernabeu begins to put its turf problems behind it
The latest operation was accelerated following the NFL game between the Miami Dolphins and the Commanders, forcing the club to replace the playing surface in just 72 hours to meet the deadline last season. This time, however, there was an important difference.
After establishing that the underlying structure was in good condition, Real Madrid decided to retain the existing turf panels and hybrid stitching system rather than remove everything and start again.
The new grass was installed over the existing base after being cultivated for several months. The variety selected was RyeBlue Deportivo, a high-performance mixture consisting of 50% perennial ryegrass and 50% Poa pratensis.
Real Madrid hoped the combination would provide a definitive solution. The club’s groundskeeping team has since refined the maintenance process, and the results are encouraging.
The Bernabeu is now in a condition that satisfies the club, and there are no plans to make further changes to the playing surface during the season.
It is the outcome Real Madrid have been pursuing for years, following a situation that eventually concerned the players themselves.
Major concerts remain the Bernabeu’s outstanding challenge
While the pitch problem appears to have been brought under control, the return of major concerts remains the Bernabeu’s biggest unresolved issue.
Real Madrid have spent months working to address the noise problems that forced them to suspend large-scale concerts.
The work has included soundproofing improvements and other measures designed to prevent noise from escaping the stadium. However, there is still no confirmed date for the return of major events.
Real Madrid believe the work carried out has brought the stadium closer to an optimal level of sound insulation.
Several areas have been reinforced to reduce noise escaping outside, with particular attention paid to entrances, enclosures and other points through which sound waves could travel.
The structural soundproofing work is understood to be nearing completion, with final architectural finishing work and official sound-emission tests still outstanding.
In the meantime, Real Madrid are exploring ways to make a return to large-scale events more feasible.
The aim is to make full use of the improvements already completed and establish a model that allows the club to revive an activity that was one of the major commercial attractions of the renovated stadium.
Until that becomes possible, Real Madrid continue to explore other ways of generating revenue from the Bernabeu. Corporate events, award ceremonies, conferences and private celebrations remain among the alternatives.
For Real Madrid, resolving the pitch issue is a significant step forward. Restoring large-scale entertainment to the Bernabeu remains the next major objective.
