Real Madrid News
Chelsea defender unlikely to leave in the summer amid Real Madrid links – Romano
Real Madrid have been linked with a move for Reece James lately. The Chelsea star has emerged as one of the options for the Spanish giants, in their bid to add reinforcements in the right-back department.
Although Dani Carvajal has been an excellent servant for the club over the years, the defender is nearing the final phase of his career. He has also had fitness issues throughout his career, thus accentuating the need for a reliable alternative.
That is where Reece James comes into the fray. The English international had emerged as an exciting option for the club, as he can operate not only as a right-back but also as a wing-back. He can even play in a back three if required.
However, according to Fabrizio Romano (h/t Caught Offside), Reece James is not leaving Chelsea anytime soon. The defender will not depart Stamford Bridge despite links with Real Madrid.
It is hardly surprising as the Spanish giants are likely to face economic difficulties in funding a move for the English international, who is a doubt for the upcoming Champions League tie between the two sides.
With over 140 competitive appearances for Chelsea, coupled with his long-term contract at Stamford Bridge, James is destined to cost a fortune in the coming summer.
As part of their plans to sign the defender, Real Madrid were banking on Chelsea having to offload a few of their stars in the coming, in order to balance the books. But the Blues have several other unwanted players they can afford to offload, rather than getting rid of James.
Therefore, Real Madrid must look at other alternatives in their bid to sign a right-back next season. They were linked with a move for Joao Cancelo in January and might look to reconsider a move for the Portuguese international in the summer.
Real Madrid News
Harry Kane ‘very close’ to completing Real Madrid move, only final details remain – report
Jude Bellingham’s move to Real Madrid was finally closed earlier today as officially confirmed by Borussia Dortmund on their website. Yet, the offices at Santiago Bernabeu have not even taken a break to celebrate their success.
According to reports from Alfredo Pedullà, Los Blancos are now completely focused on the acquisition of Harry Kane. The English striker’s arrival is very close to approaching closure and only a few details remain to be sorted.
The Real Madrid and Tottenham Hotspur representatives reportedly held a meeting today over the striker’s transfer. The agenda was to agree on a number for the transfer fee.
The Premier League side began the proceedings with an expectation of €100 to €110 million in exchange for Kane. However, the Merengues suggested a lower point at €80 to €90 million, albeit with the option to include bonuses.
There is not much separating the two parties at the moment, and the minor gap will be bridged in the coming days. Overall, the meeting ended with a broad understanding between the two clubs.
Carlo Ancelotti sees the English striker as the centre-piece of his attack for next season given the recent departure of Karim Benzema. After all, Kane has been one of football’s most consistent goalscorers over the past decade.
Yet, Los Blancos cannot afford to let their guard down with one signing and will need to rope in at least two more names in attack to serve as backup options. The exits of Mariano Diaz, Marco Asensio, and Eden Hazard leave them with no squad depth, after all.
Kane has scored 30, 17, and 23 goals in his last three seasons in the Premier League and is the epitome of consistency. Further, he had three assists in his most recent league season and created 14 big chances.
