Real Madrid News
Boost for Real Madrid as Man United end pursuit of €115 million-rated goal machine
In what could be a major boost for Real Madrid, Manchester United have decided to move on from their pursuit of Tottenham Hotspur superstar Harry Kane, reports The Times (h/t AS).
Kane is a top target for Real Madrid this summer as they look to replace Karim Benzema, who has signed for Al Ittihad in Saudi Arabia.
However, the Merengues were facing stiff competition from Manchester United, who were also keen on signing the England captain as they look for a top-quality No. 9.
But, as per the report, Tottenham chairman Daniel Levy does not wish to sell Kane to a rival Premier League club, even though the 29-year-old would have welcomed the idea of playing for Manchester United.
As such, the Red Devils are looking at Atalanta’s Rasmus Hojlund as Plan B, clearing the pathway for Real Madrid to move for Kane as there are no other suitors for the England captain.
Levy is understood to be holding out for a fee of €115 million for his ace goalscorer, who netted 32 goals during the 2022/23 campaign.
But there is some hope within the Madrid camp that Manchester United’s exit from the race could lead to a drop in the asking price, possibly below the €100 million-mark.
Real Madrid are reportedly hoping to get the deal done for around €80 million and are not prepared to breach the €100 million barrier for Kane as he will be turning 30 next month and Florentino Perez feels it will be difficult to amortise his transfer.
Manchester United’s exit from the race does make things easier for Los Blancos in their pursuit of Kane. However, reaching an agreement with Levy will be a huge challenge on its own and it remains to be seen whether Perez & co. are successful in doing so.
One of the biggest positives for Real Madrid from the last season was the breakthrough of young midfielder Thiago Pitarch.
The 19-year-old La Fabrica prospect had been in the first-team dynamics since pre-season under Xabi Alonso, but finally got his senior debut under Alvaro Arbeloa at the turn of the year.
From that moment on, Pitarch did not look back at all, gaining prominence in the team and even starting important matches ahead of established players like Eduardo Camavinga and Dani Ceballos.
However, things have not gone as per plans for the teenager this season as he has yet to play a single minute of first-team football.
January loan no longer ruled out
As such, Diario AS now reports that Pitarch would consider leaving Real Madrid on loan during the January transfer window if his situation does not improve.
The teenage midfielder suffered an injury in pre-season which kept him sidelined for a few weeks, denying him an opportunity to start the season under Jose Mourinho.
By the time he returned, the Portuguese tactician had already identified his preferred hierarchy in midfield, with the likes of Federico Valverde, Bernardo Silva, Aurelien Tchouameni and Camavinga firmly ahead in the pecking order.
A stark difference from his debut season
In his debut season, Pitarch ended with 16 first-team appearances for Real Madrid with two assists to his name.
In contrast, this term, the academy graduate has been called up to the matchday squad for five games by Mourinho this term, but has yet to play a single minute of football.
Given the situation, he used the international break to jump down to Castilla and play close to 250 minutes across three games, during which he also registered an assist.
The situation is far from ideal for a young talent who needs regular minutes to continue his development and build on his impressive breakthrough campaign.
As such, the possibility of a departure on loan in January could be considered, after Pitarch turned down offers in the summer to stay at Real Madrid.
A lot will depend on how things evolve in the next couple of months, but a temporary exit cannot be ruled out.
