Real Madrid News
Juventus join Barcelona, AC Milan in free transfer pursuit of Real Madrid attacker for 2023
Marco Asensio will see his contract with Real Madrid expire at the end of the ongoing campaign. Set to become a free agent in the summer of 2023, the 26-year-old is attracting widespread interest from clubs across Europe.
AC Milan have been long-term admirers of the Real Madrid forward while, of late, Barcelona have also emerged as shock suitors of the Spanish international. Now, according to Gazzetta dello Sport (h/t Mundo Deportivo), Juventus have also entered the race for Asensio.
The Bianconeri find themselves in disarray currently and are already planning to strengthen their roster for the upcoming campaign.
And, as per the report, Asensio is one of the players that they are considering signing, given as he will be available for a free transfer.
The 26-year-old had been linked with an exit from Real Madrid during the last summer as well, as contract negotiations with Los Blancos fell through due to his wage demands.
Since then, the former RCD Mallorca ace has struggled to get regular game-time under Carlo Ancelotti, with the Italian tactician using him vary sparingly off the bench so far this season.
With Rodrygo, Vinicius Junior, Federico Valverde and even Eden Hazard seemingly ahead of him in the pecking order, an exit in the summer beckons Asensio.
And, as things stand, there seems to be no shortage of suitors for the winger. As iterated earlier, Milan have been hot on his trail for a while and tried to sign him in the summer as well, but a move fell through.
Barcelona have also entered the picture to sign Asensio on a Bosman deal, with reports even indicating that his agent, Jorge Mendes, has already offered the forward to Real Madrid’s arch-rivals.
Now with Juventus also throwing their hat in the ring to sign Asensio next year, it will be interesting to see where the attacker ends up.
Real Madrid News
U-turn? Benzema hints at Real Madrid stay during ceremony: “Reality is not the internet”
There has been a lot of talk around Karim Benzema’s situation over the course of the last week or so, with reports claiming that the Frenchman was on his way out of the Santiago Bernabeu.
With his contract expiring at the end of the season, it was reported that Benzema was joining Al Ittihad as part of an incredible deal worth nearly €200 million. The striker was also offered 100% of his image rights and advertising deals by the Saudi government.
Over the last day or so, it has been reported that the move is all but official at the moment, as Benzema has accepted the offer, and will soon inform Real Madrid about it.
Benzema was awarded the MARCA Leyenda awards for contribution to sports today, and speaking during it, he dropped a rather cryptic message about his future – one that says quite the opposite to what has been in the news recently.
“Speak to the fans? Speak about what? Why should I speak of the future if I’m in Madrid?”, Benzema said.
“It’s the internet speaking, and reality is not the internet,” he added.
This certainly falls away from the departure line for Benzema, who was reportedly already contemplating his life away from Madrid.
At first, though, he was hesitant about speaking about his future, saying, “Staying or leaving Real Madrid? At the moment, I’m here…we have a game on Saturday.”
He repeatedly talked about the fans, calling them the best in world football. He also said, “I know how much Real Madrid fans love me. I feel that when I’m on the pitch, I give my best for them, always.”
“I always say that we play with 11 on the pitch but also with a crucial factor, Real Madrid fans,” Benzema concluded.
