Real Madrid News
Liverpool captain never considered Real Madrid transfer last summer despite rumours
As Liverpool get set to take on Real Madrid later tonight at Anfield, reports in Spain earlier today claimed that the Reds’ captain, Virgil van Dijk, was eager to join Real Madrid last summer.
It was claimed that the Netherlands international’s agents tried to push for a move to the Santiago Bernabeu, given that his contract at Anfield stood to expire in the summer.
However, with Real Madrid not showing any interest in such an operation, Van Dijk ended up signing a new lucrative contract to stay with Liverpool.
Van Dijk always wanted to stay
However, according to Fabrizio Romano, Van Dijk never considered leaving Liverpool for Real Madrid in the summer.
The 34-year-old centre-back always wished to renew his contract with the Premier League champions and ended up doing so, signing a new deal until 2027 back in April.
Having stayed put at Anfield, the Dutchman has made 14 appearances for Liverpool this season, even chipping in with a couple of goals. However, he has faced some criticism as the Reds have been going through a disappointing run of form in recent weeks.
While Van Dijk was not on Real Madrid’s agenda, they did manage to pry away another key player from Liverpool as Trent Alexander-Arnold joined for a nominal fee after refusing to renew his contract.
Moving forward, the Merengues are targeting Van Dijk’s centre-back partner, Ibrahima Konate, for the summer of 2026.
The French international’s contract expires at the end of the season and renewal talks have not progressed much, and Real Madrid are ready to pounce and lure the centre-back on a free transfer come summer.
Real Madrid News
Real Madrid forward Vinicius Jr. admits finishing problem after another frustrating night vs Elche: ‘Can’t miss that much’
Vinicius Jr.’s difficult start in front of goal continued against Elche, and the Real Madrid forward did not need anyone to tell him he had missed another chance to make the difference.
The Brazilian finished the night without a goal despite having chances to get on the scoresheet, while his teammates could only watch from the bench as opportunities went begging.
Jose Mourinho had already identified the problem before kick-off, bluntly pointing to the issue facing his forward, stating, “He’s missing the goal.”
Vini offered an equally frank assessment afterwards.
Rather than hide from another frustrating evening, he accepted responsibility on social media: “The goals will come back; I can’t miss that much…”
Two chances, no finish for Vinicius
Vinicius had two particularly clear openings against Elche, but neither produced the finish Real Madrid needed from their star forward.
The first arrived when he found himself one-on-one with the opposition goalkeeper.
Instead of finding the net, Vinicius caught the ball with the tip of his foot and sent his effort wide. Arda Guler was available during the move and called for the ball, but Vini backed himself to finish the chance.
He had another opportunity after the interval, this time following an excellent pass from Guler during a quick Real Madrid transition. Again, though, Vinicius could not find the target.
His evening ended in the 68th minute, with Mourinho deciding the Brazilian was tired and turning his attention towards Sunday’s Atletico Madrid derby.
Mourinho has a bigger decision to make
The numbers show why Vinicius’ finishing has become a talking point. He managed five shots against Elche, but only one was on target and none found the net.
After seven appearances this season, the Brazilian has scored just once, which is a striking return for a player Real Madrid rely upon to provide a major share of their attacking threat.
Ultimately, though, Real Madrid found another route to victory, with Arda Guler, Kylian Mbappe and Carlos Espi providing the goals in the 3-2 comeback.
