Real Madrid News
Chelsea will consider appointing Ancelotti if he leaves Real Madrid in the summer
In a major development, as per Mark Ogden of ESPN, Chelsea could rehire former manager Carlo Ancelotti in the summer, if he leaves Real Madrid.
Ancelotti spent two years at Chelsea previously, between 2009 and 2011, and won the Premier League and FA Cup double in the 2009/10 season. The 63-year-old oversaw 109 matches as the manager of the West London club, winning 68.
Ancelotti’s future at Real Madrid has been a major subject of speculation in recent weeks. The club’s underwhelming performance in La Liga this season has seen them fall behind arch-rivals Barcelona in the title race.
And it has been reported that the only way for the Italian to stay in charge at the Santiago Bernabeu next season would be if he wins a major trophy.
As things stand, Real Madrid are in the finals of the Copa del Rey, while they will also be facing Chelsea in the quarterfinals of the UEFA Champions League. Failure on both these avenues could see Ancelotti get axed.
A move to the Brazil national team has been mooted for a while now. But, Chelsea are also now understood to be monitoring the 63-year-old’s situation as they look for a new permanent manager at the end of the season.
After having sacked Thomas Tuchel and Graham Potter this season, the Blues have appointed club legend Frank Lampard as caretaker boss for the remainder of the campaign.
The new owners, meanwhile, are continuing their search for a permanent manager, with as many as seven candidates being considered.
Ancelotti’s track record and his openness to working with a technical director are said to appeal to Chelsea.
On top of that, his readiness to operate in tandem with a younger coach – Paul Clement (PSG, Real Madrid) and Zinedine Zidane (Real Madrid) – is something that Chelsea might want to capitalise on.
A lot will depend on how the season ends for Real Madrid and how Chelsea’s pursuit of other targets such as Julian Nagelsmann, Mauricio Pochettino, and Luis Enrique goes. For now, Ancelotti’s name is back on the table at Stamford Bridge.
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.
