Real Madrid News
Florentino Perez inserted ‘anti-Barcelona’ clauses in the contracts of two Real Madrid stars
Dani Ceballos and Marco Asensio are among several Real Madrid players whose current contracts with the club expire on June 30. And while the latter has decided to move on from the club, the former appears closer to renewing with the Merengues.
Not very long ago, Asensio, who will soon be deciding his next club, had been linked with a move to Real Madrid’s arch-rivals Barcelona.
But, according to a fresh report from Mundo Deportivo, such a move would never have been possible as Real Madrid president Florentino Perez had ‘anti-Barcelona’ clauses inserted in the contracts of both Asensio and Ceballos.
The presence of such a clause meant that even if the pair leave Real Madrid as free agents, they would be prohibited from joining the current La Liga champions.
While Ceballos has never really been linked with a move to the Catalan outfit, the same cannot be said of Asensio.
The 27-year-old winger had been generating a lot of interest at Barcelona, who viewed him as a good addition to their ranks owing to his ability to play in multiple positions in attack and his eye for a goal.
However, after learning about the existence of the ‘anti-Barcelona’ clause in his contract, the Blaugrana were quick to end their pursuit of the Spanish international.
As things stand, Asensio appears to be bound for PSG, after deciding to snub interest from Unai Emery’s Aston Villa. If not for the presence of the ‘anti-Barça’ clause, things could have ended differently for the Spanish international.
As for Ceballos, as mentioned earlier, he appears likely to stay put at Real Madrid, having been happy with the club’s latest three-year contract offer.
Bernardo Silva was one of Real Madrid’s headline signings last summer. The Portuguese midfielder arrived on a free transfer from Manchester City and appeared destined to become the creative successor to Toni Kroos and Luka Modric in the middle of the park.
Indeed, with the club having not signed a new central midfielder, many within Real Madrid saw the veteran star as a solution to the issue.
Manager Jose Mourinho made him a starter from the very beginning in pre-season, but not in his usual role on the right. Instead, he deployed his compatriot as a deep-lying playmaker in the midfield double pivot.
A change in circumstances
Silva failed to have the expected influence when operating in a deeper role in midfield in the chances he got.
Combined with the emergence of Arda Guler and Aurelien Tchouameni’s return to fitness, the Portuguese international has now lost his place in the starting line-up and dropped to the bench.
Bernardo’s situation became particularly striking against Villarreal this past Saturday at the Santiago Bernabeu, when he did not play a single minute.
Limited opportunities under Mourinho
Bernardo has played six matches for Real Madrid, starting three and coming on as a substitute in another three.
He did not feature against Villarreal or Elche, while his only appearance in the last three matches was a little over 10 minutes against Atletico Madrid. He was not used regularly by the Portugal national team during the international break either.
Across Real Madrid’s eight La Liga fixtures, Silva has accumulated just 282 minutes of playing time.
The Champions League now presents another opportunity for the former Manchester City captain, who has yet to make his European debut for Real Madrid this season.
He missed the match against Inter Milan because he was still serving a suspension carried over from his time at the Etihad Stadium last season.
It remains to be seen whether Mourinho will give him an opportunity against AS Roma in the coming week.
For now, the midfielder’s reduced playing time suggests that the Portuguese coach has lost some of his faith in a player who arrived with high expectations after leaving Manchester City.
