Real Madrid News
Confirmed: Real Madrid starting lineup against Real Sociedad – no changes
Having taken all three points in their league opener, Real Madrid take on Real Sociedad in their second game of the season later today.
It will be a special night as it marks the team’s first game at the Santiago Bernabeu this season and gives fans their first chance of watching the new signings in action.
Ahead of the game, Jose Mourinho has announced his starting lineup for the clash against the Basque giants.
An unchanged lineup
Despite all the noise in the media, Mourinho has opted to keep his team completely unchanged for the game against Real Sociedad, thereby retaining trust in the same core that got the job done at the weekend.
Thibaut Courtois keeps the starting spot in goal while Dean Huijsen and Ibrahima Konate retain the starting spots in central defence over Antonio Rudiger. At right-back, Denzel Dumfries stays a starter ahead of Trent Alexander-Arnold.
The left-back was the one position where a change was expected, but Marc Cucurella continues to stay on the bench for Alvaro Carreras.
In midfield, Bernardo Silva and Federico Valverde remain the double pivot with Jude Bellingham ahead of them.
Vinicius Jr. and Kylian Mbappe also retain their starting spots, and unsurprisingly so. As for the dilemma Mourinho has between Arda Guler and Yan Diomande for the right wing, he has awarded the Turkish star a second straight start after an impressive show at the weekend.
Real Madrid News
Former Real Madrid Castilla star’s Premier League move collapses, ruins club’s €8.5 million windfall
Real Madrid’s summer has been special so far in terms of academy player sales, and the club has accumulated serious profits not only from direct sales but also in terms of indirect windfalls.
As of earlier this week, Los Blancos were even set to receive yet another such unexpected gift – this time from former academy star Javi Rueda who plays at Celta Vigo.
The youngster, who has dished out good performances in La Liga, was said to have attracted interest from Nottingham Forest and Real Madrid took special interest in the development as they hold 50% of his rights.
Deal off the table
Now, in what comes as a colossal and unexpected blow for Los Blancos, Rueda’s transfer to the Premier League-based side has collapsed as reported by Abraham P Romero.
Talks were in the final stages and an agreement was close to being reached. At the last moment, however, the negotiations were called off and the transfer now appears complicated.
Given that Rueda’s release clause stands at €40 million, there was an initial expectation that Real Madrid would receive €20 million from the transfer.
As confirmed by the Spanish journalist, however, Real Madrid were set to reap close to €8.5 million from the fee negotiated which they will now no longer land. The deal, after all, was close to being completed for a fee of €17 million in the end.
Manager’s words weigh heavily
The reason for the collapse of the transfer is surprisingly not from Nottingham Forest’s end but from Celta Vigo’s end. Claudio Giraldez, Celta’s manager, spoke on Rueda earlier this week and his words are said to have transformed the situation.
“I don’t have the final decision about things, but if that decision were to be made, obviously it’s a decision that I don’t agree with. In the figures that are more or less talked about, it seems to me a bad sale. That’s why I trust it won’t happen,” he said via El Desmarque.
“He is an important player for us. We want him here, I trust he will be here, that we will not sell him. That’s why he enters the call and one more for tomorrow’s game. I hope the market ends with him here,” he added, when asked about Rueda’s future.
Needless to say, the manager’s words reached the administration who seem to have pulled the plug on the sale now.
