Real Madrid News
Deschamps made the call to send Benzema home from France’s World Cup camp – report
France failed to become the first-ever national team to defend the FIFA World Cup since Brazil achieved the feat in 1962, as they lost to Argentina in the final on Sunday evening.
It was a disappointing performance from Didier Deschamps’ side and on occasions, it almost looked like the game was being played between Kylian Mbappe and Argentina.
In fact, Les Bleus made such a dire start to the match that the manager was forced into withdrawing his main striker Olivier Giroud and starting winger Ousmane Dembele just 40 minutes into the contest.
In the aftermath, there have been questions asked about the French camp deciding to send Karim Benzema home after his injury.
Now, Melchor Ruiz of COPE is reporting that the decision to ask Benzema to leave the French national team camp was made by Deschamps himself even though he could have taken time to see if the striker can recover from the thigh injury he picked up.
Furthermore, the update from Melchor Ruiz also states that the Real Madrid superstar had, in fact, recovered five days after his injury, meaning that the striker could have been ready for France’s run in the knockout stages or possibly even a bit earlier than that.
But Deschamps made the call to ask Benzema to leave the national team camp and now reports suggest that the relationship between the two is completely ruptured.
The striker, who celebrates his 35th birthday today, is said to have cut off ties completely with the national team camp following his early departure from Qatar.
With the World Cup drama all behind though, Benzema will be focusing on staying fit and healthy for the second half of the season. Real Madrid will resume their campaign with a trip to Estadio Jose Zorrilla where they face Real Valladolid, with their captain expected to start.
Although Antonio Rudiger has had success since joining Real Madrid last summer, the club are in need of more depth and players that can form the backbone of the defensive unit in the years to come.
As part of their plans, Real Madrid are prioritising a move for Josko Gvardiol in the coming summer, reports 90 Min.
The outlet suggests Gvardiol will be one of the most wanted prospects in the market, with both Real Madrid and Manchester City eyeing a move for the Croatian international come the end of the season.
Formerly of Dinamo Zagreb, Gvardiol has enjoyed immense success since his move to the Bundesliga in 2021. He has impressed onlookers with his skill, organisation and discipline, which, coupled with his versatility, make him an appealing target for any European giant.
Gvardiol was also one of the top performers at the 2022 FIFA World Cup, helping Croatia finish third in the competition. His performances have not gone unnoticed, with Real Madrid among the clubs who have been keeping an eye on the defender for a while now.
However, signing Gvardiol will be a tricky task for Los Blancos. The player still has a long-term contract at Leipzig and could cost up to €85 million, as reported by 90 Min. Not to mention, the competition from Man City could be significant.
Real Madrid have no shortage of alternatives, though, with the club notably closely monitoring Portuguese defensive whizkid Antonio Silva, among others. So it will be interesting to see how the Spanish giants approach the market in this coming summer.
