Real Madrid News
Girona manager sends Man City warning to Real Madrid: “Pep has been studying them”
Speaking after thrashing Real Madrid 4-2 at Estadi Montilivi, Girona manager Michel sent out a warning to the European champions ahead of their UEFA Champions League semi-finals against Manchester City.
Girona hammered Real Madrid on Tuesday night, courtesy of a four-goal display from Valentin Castellanos. Considering that Los Blancos were on a four-game winning streak heading into the game, the Catalan outfit brought their momentum to a screeching halt.
Manager Carlo Ancelotti acknowledged that the team was not at the level needed on the night and even issued an apology to the fans after the game.
As for Girona, they were on cloud nine after the win and manager Michel, who had previously claimed that he would like to see Manchester City defeat Real Madrid and go on to win the Champions League, had a warning for the Merengues.
It must be noted that Girona are a sister club of Manchester City, owned by the City Group. And when Michel was asked if he would pass on any tactics to Pep Guardiola ahead of City’s UCL meeting with Real Madrid, he said:
“Pep is on another level, I can already tell you that he has been studying Real Madrid for some time.”
The Girona manager further hailed Ancelotti as well and stated that the game between Madrid and City was like a final before the final.
“Both he and Ancelotti are huge, and it’s going to be a beautiful tie that’s like an early final,” he said.
Real Madrid will play Manchester City in the first leg of the semi-final at the Santiago Bernabeu on May 9, just three days after they face CA Osasuna in the Copa del Rey final. The second leg will take place a week later at the Etihad Stadium.
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.
