Real Madrid News
Kylian Mbappe wanted Real Madrid midfielder to join him at PSG – report
Diario ABC (h/t Madrid Xtra) has reported that Paris Saint-Germain forward Kylian Mbappe wanted Aurelien Tchouameni to join him at the club, but the latter only wanted to move to Real Madrid.
Tchouameni, 22, moved to Real Madrid in June 2022 from Ligue 1 side Monaco for a fee reported to be around €80 million. Signing a six-year contract with the capital club, the price tag could rise to €100 million if certain criteria are met.
Ahead of his move to Madrid, the 22-year-old midfielder was arguably the most in-demand player across Europe, with Cesc Fabregas claiming that he recommended the Frenchman to Barcelona, while Liverpool were also interested.
The story, however, could have been very different if Tchouameni had listened to his national teammate Kylian Mbappe. As quoted by the aforementioned outlet, the PSG star admires Tchouameni a lot.
In fact, the two are actually very good friends and share a great relationship within the national team camp and Mbappe wanted the midfielder to move to PSG before joining Real Madrid.
However, as it turned out, the 22-year-old was only focused on Real Madrid and ended up securing a move to the Santiago Bernabeu
A few months into his Real Madrid tenure and Tchouameni has turned out to be a fantastic signing, to say the least. Taking over as the club’s primary holding midfielder following Casemiro’s exit, the Frenchman has done a sterling job in the centre of the park.
He is also putting in solid shifts one after the other for the French national team, helping them reach the semi-finals of the FIFA World Cup.
It must be remembered that Mbappe himself was linked heavily with a move to Real Madrid in the summer before he made a dramatic U-turn and renewed his contract with PSG. If not, he and Tchouameni could have shared the dressing room at the Bernabeu.
Real Madrid News
Ancelotti could renew contract with Real Madrid if he wins the Champions League – report
The continuity of Carlo Ancelotti hinges on several factors and journalist Mario Cortegana, while writing for The Athletic, has confirmed that if Real Madrid do not sack him at the end of the season, the Italian will continue to serve the team at least until his current contract, which runs until 2024.
Furthermore, the report also states that Ancelotti could even be handed a contract extension if he leads the team to the UEFA Champions League triumph once again.
It is more than evident that Ancelotti’s Real Madrid future is far from certain. Ever since the managerial role at the Brazilian national team opened up, the 63-year-old is being pursued by the South American team.
Cortegana writes that even though Ancelotti is quite happy at Real Madrid, there remains a possibility that he will, indeed, accept the Brazil role if he were to leave the Spanish capital city as he sees this job as an appealing end to his managerial career.
At Real Madrid, he knows that he will have to keep winning trophies and this season, the La Liga honour is more or less lost. But with the possibility of winning the UEFA Champions League still open, Cortegana has reported that if the Italian does, in fact, succeed at winning the European crown, he might end up renewing his deal with the team.
At the moment, the Brazilian Football Confederation (CBF) is trying to keep a respectful distance, but there is absolutely no denying the fact that they have made him their absolute priority.
“Ancelotti is not only the players’ favourite but it seems the fans’ too,” said CBF president Ednaldo Rodrigues about Ancelotti.
“Everywhere I go in Brazil, in every stadium, he is the first name the supporters ask me about. They talk about him in a very affectionate way, in recognition of the exemplary work he has done in his career,” he added.
Ancelotti is aware that Brazil want him and Brazil know Ancelotti is ready to join, but everything hinges on what happens with Real Madrid this season.
If they end up winning the Champions League or even if Madrid decided to stick with him until his contract expires [2024], Brazil will be forced to look for alternatives. If not, one can expect the Italian to be the new head coach of the Seleçao.
