Real Madrid News
Carlo Ancelotti praises Real Madrid-linked Serie A forward: “He is a great player”
Real Madrid manager Carlo Ancelotti has lavished praise on Napoli winger Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, calling him a ‘great player’, amid transfer links between the club and the player.
Kvaratskhelia has been a breakout star in Serie A this season after joining Napoli last summer. The Georgian winger has been one of the driving forces behind the Partenopei’s charge to the Scudetto this term, having banged in 11 goals and 11 assists from 22 matches thus far.
The 22-year-old winger has also been stellar in the UEFA Champions League, racking up a tally of two goals and four assists from six matches.
Kvaratskhelia is a boyhood Real Madrid fan and has admitted to idolising Los Blancos legends like Guti in the past.
Given his exploits with Napoli this term, the Merengues, too, have reportedly taken an interest in the Georgian international winger, who will likely cost around €100 million or even more.
Now, Ancelotti has come out and praised the winger, which could serve to fuel the transfer speculations further.
Speaking to Sky Sport Italia, Ancelotti said: “Kvaratskhelia is a great player, he is doing well with Victor Osimhen, they are very efficient.”
Ancelotti, who managed Napoli in the past, is a known admirer of Kvaratskhelia. In fact, this is not the first time that the Real Madrid boss has spoken highly of the 22-year-old speedster.
Back in October last year, the Italian tactician had said: “He is a special player. We were already following him when I was at Napoli.”
Whether this admiration from Ancelotti leads to any concrete move from Real Madrid’s part to sign Kvaratskhelia in the summer remains to be seen.
Given that Vinicius Jr has the left flank locked down at the Santiago Bernabeu, quite how Los Blancos would plan to utilise the Napoli man if they do indeed make efforts to sign him will be interesting to see.
Real Madrid News
Real Madrid, Barcelona, Liverpool monitoring 19-year-old Bundesliga wonderkid – Romano
According to Fabrizio Romano, Real Madrid, Barcelona, and Liverpool are all monitoring Bayer Leverkusen and Germany wonderkid Florian Wirtz.
After recovering from his ACL injury, the teenage sensation has been slowly working his way back to his best form. So far this term, Wirtz has managed to rack up a tally of two goals and six assists from 13 matches in all competitions.
The 19-year-old’s talent and potential have never been in question and hence it does not come as a surprise that elite clubs such as Real Madrid, Barcelona, and Liverpool are all keeping tabs on the German international.
A versatile attacking midfielder, Wirtz is capable of playing anywhere in the final third of the pitch and backs up with top-notch end product. Be it as a false-nine or in a more withdrawn role, the youngster has excelled for Bayer Leverkusen, catching the attention of top teams.
Real Madrid, for their part, are also understood to be among Wirtz’s admirers. Given the situation surrounding Karim Benzema’s fitness and the lack of backup at the top, the youngster could be an option, as he has shown potential while operating through the middle.
But Barcelona also have a strong interest in the teenager with reports even suggesting that they have already made contact with his father to enquire about his situation.
At the same time, Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp is understood to be a huge admirer of his fellow German and with Roberto Firmino on his way out, Wirtz could be lined up as a possible replacement.
However, Romano adds that the expectation is that Wirtz could stay at Bayer Leverkusen for one more year and depart Germany once the UEFA Euro 2024 is out of the way.
For now, there have been talks or negotiations with any clubs, but Real Madrid, Barcelona and Liverpool are all tracking Wirtz and his progress in Germany.
