Real Madrid News
Former Barcelona midfielder claims he would ‘never say no’ to Real Madrid
Over the years, Barcelona have produced a number of exciting young talent from their La Masia academy, but not all of them have gone on to make it big at the first-team level.
One such player happens to midfielder Carles Alena, who currently plies his trade for Getafe after failing to break into the senior setup at Barça.
The 26-year-old, though, has made a startling revelation that despite his past allegiances to Barcelona, he would never turn down a chance to join Real Madrid if such an opportunity would ever arise.
While he admitted to be a ‘lifelong Cule’, Alena added that he would not reject a chance to sign for a team like Madrid, saying (h/t Mundo Deportivo):
“I would never say no to a club like Madrid. It’s a great club and I’ve always said that I want to play for a big team.”
Alena made 44 senior appearances for Barcelona, in which he scored three goals. Since joining Getafe, he has featured 125 times across all competitions, racking up six goals and 11 assists in the process.
While the Spaniard might be open to joining Real Madrid despite his past ties with Barcelona, it must be noted that Los Blancos have zero interest in him at this moment.
In fact, the reigning European champions are not looking at signing a new midfielder this summer despite Toni Kroos’ retirement.
In Federico Valverde, Jude Bellingham, Luka Modric, Eduardo Camavinga, and Aurelien Tchouameni, the Merengues have a top-notch midfield department while the likes of Arda Guler, Brahim Diaz, and Nico Paz can also contribute.
Instead, the focus is on signing Alphonso Davies from Bayern Munich while Leny Yoro of Lille also remains on the agenda.
Real Madrid News
Real Madrid hope captain will resume group training tomorrow and be ready for Villarreal
Real Madrid received a major boost in training today as Kylian Mbappe participated in the group session, indicating his readiness for the upcoming game against Villarreal.
The French superstar had returned from international duty with a knee injury, but seems to have left it behind and appears ready to start at the Santiago Bernabeu come Saturday.
What about Federico Valverde?
Now, according to AS, Federico Valverde was not part of the group training session today at Valdebebas. Instead, he was involved in an individual session away from his teammates.
However, Real Madrid hope that their club captain will be able to resume working with the rest of the squad on Thursday, putting him in the fray to return in time for Saturday’s clash against Villarreal.
Valverde is currently recovering from an ankle sprain that he sustained in Real Madrid’s 2-1 derby defeat against Atletico Madrid prior to the international break.
The Uruguayan midfielder was on the receiving end of a harsh tackle from Kang-In Lee, which left him injured, ruling him out of action for the national team.
The 28-year-old stayed behind in Madrid and has worked hard on his recovery, with things progressing in the right direction.
What now remains to be seen is whether he can jump back into group training session on Thursday, which would put him on the path to return to action against Villarreal.
A key player for Mourinho
So far this season, Valverde has emerged as a permanent fixture in the team under new manager Jose Mourinho.
The Real Madrid captain has started all of the team’s eight matches in all competitions this term, scoring and assisting one goal apiece.
His potential availability for Saturday’s clash against Villarreal will come as a major boost for Mourinho & co. Everything will depend on how things progress in tomorrow’s training session at Valdebebas.
With Ibrahima Konate also recovering from his knee sprain, Real Madrid have only three players sidelined currently: Raul Asencio, who recently underwent surgery, Rodrygo Goes, who is a long-term absentee, and Ferland Mendy, who has resumed work with the ball.
