Real Madrid News
Chelsea, PSG and several La Liga clubs interested in 21-year-old Real Madrid youngster
Rafa Marin was one of the Real Madrid Castilla setup’s most important pillars last season. The young defender put in tremendous shifts week in and week out and was critical in the team’s run to the doorstep of promotion.
As fate had it, the youngsters fell short at the final step to Eldense and will play in the third division once again next season.
However, their effort was not futile. The performances of the Castilla stars have not gone unnoticed, with several prodigies receiving proposals from first-division sides. Marin, unsurprisingly, has no shortage of suitors.
According to reports from Mundo Deportivo, the young defender does not have a place in the Real Madrid first team for next season. He was initially seen as a replacement for the exit-bound Nacho Fernandez, but the veteran’s renewal closes the door.
Marin thus contemplates an exit from Madrid to take his next big step. Paris Saint-Germain and Chelsea are some of the overseas clubs interested in him, while Espanyol and Celta Vigo have also enquired about his situation.
It is clear that Los Blancos do not want to lose complete control of the centre-back’s future, for they see him as a player with a sky-high limit. Real Madrid will thus insist on a clause to repurchase the star, and the negotiations will not be simple.
Another option Florentino Perez can opt for is sending the youngster on loan with the idea of bringing him back in a few years.
For the time being, Real Madrid prioritise extending the player’s contract to maintain control over his future. His current deal with the club runs out next summer and does not give the club sufficient leverage in potential negotiations.
The 21-year-old made 39 appearances for the Castilla side last season, scoring two goals and providing one assist in that duration.
Life at Real Madrid has gotten off to a rather torrid start for Turkish starlet Arda Guler, who has already faced a large number of setbacks since singing for Los Blancos.
Aged just 18, the winger-slash-midfielder has already picked up seven injuries in his senior career, which is cause for serious concern, especially since a couple of them have affected his ligaments – which is always bad news.
Hotly-tipped to be an exciting addition to the Madrid squad going forward, the youngster had to drop out of their pre-season tour early due to a meniscus injury.
This was treated conservatively, but after that did not yield good results, he had to undergo a procedure and seemed set to make the squad against Las Palmas, before another injury setback.
According to Diario AS, the new problem can keep him out for three weeks to a month, which means his Real Madrid debut may have to wait till early November, after the first El Clasico of the season on 28th October.
Guler’s history of fitness problems
In their report, AS also state that the Turkish teenager seems to have a propensity for injuries, accumulating seven of them in his career already.
There is also word going around that his recovery from this meniscus issue was rushed and not handled adequately.
That, combined with a stroke of bad luck means Real Madrid have to be very mindful of how Guler is reintegrated into the squad going forward.
This new injury is reportedly a thigh problem which will also need to be treated with caution.
A special recovery plan
Carlo Ancelotti stated before and after the Las Palmas clash that the plan was for Guler to have some minutes against the Canary Islanders, but he said that genetics, luck and a lack of sharpness have a big part to play in this relapse.
The Italian manager did say that this issue is not as serious, but all signs indicate that there is an urgent need to work on the youngster’s conditioning.
AS thus say that a specific plan has been devised since the summer to enhance Guler’s fitness and his resistance.
This is a programme that is reportedly similar to the one Rodrygo followed when he arrived from Brazil, much thinner than he is today, but without having sacrificed his football qualities.
