Real Madrid News
Liverpool icon wants to know Real Madrid’s plans for him before making free move
The final weeks of the Premier League saw a fair few emotional farewells as several players are expected to leave their respective clubs after long stints.
Granit Xhaka scored a brace on his final game for Arsenal, while Ruben Neves bid goodbye to the Wolverhampton Wanderers faithful. It was also an emotional exit for Roberto Firimino, who opened the scoring for Liverpool against Southampton in his last game for the Reds.
The Brazilian has been at Anfield for eight seasons at this point, and has scored 11 goals in 25 appearances during this league season.
His next destination is still unknown, but Real Madrid are reportedly keeping tabs on the player, as reported earlier. Los Blancos are, indeed, interested in the player, as has been confirmed by Daily Mail.
The report also claims that Firmino wants to talk to Madrid before deciding his future, though, as he wants to know how he would fit into the team.
As of now, it seems likely that Firmino would play as a substitute to Karim Benzema should the move transpire this summer.
While the Frenchman was expected to continue at the Santiago Bernabeu despite his contract expiring at the end of the season, the situation has changed rather dramatically in the last few hours, with reports claiming that he is now closer to leaving the club than continuing.
Madrid are also considering a move for Harry Kane, but his price tag, coupled with Tottenham Hotspur chairman Daniel Levy’s negotiation tactics, could push him off Madrid’s radar.
Barcelona are also in for a move for Firmino if reports are to be believed, but in that scenario, it would be almost certain that he would be playing second fiddle to Robert Lewandowski.
Madrid’s decision to buy Firmino could drastically change should Benzema decide to leave the club on a free transfer.
Real Madrid News
Real Madrid full-back never considered summer exit, would retire at club if given chance
Ferland Mendy finds himself in a difficult situation at Real Madrid. The Frenchman has struggled with injury and fitness woes for a large part of the past year, leading to doubts over his future at the club.
In fact, it had been reported that Los Blancos were considering selling Mendy during the summer transfer window earlier this year itself.
But, such a move did not materialise and the 28-year-old has stayed put at the Santiago Bernabeu although reports suggest that he is likely to be on the move next year.
Mendy would retire at Real Madrid if he could
Despite there having been numerous reports about his future in the summer, The Athletic reports that Mendy did not consider the possibility of an exit at any point.
In fact, the report adds that if given a chance, the 28-year-old defender would retire at Real Madrid.
Mendy’s contract with Los Merengues expires in 2025 and he is understood to be seeking a renewal for a while now, but there has been no move made by the club.
The injuries that the 28-year-old has picked up are understood to be a major deterrent for Real Madrid, which is why they are already looking to reinforce the left-back position with Alphonso Davies next year.
Mendy enjoys Ancelotti’s trust
Despite the non-stop speculations surrounding him, Mendy continues to enjoy the full trust of manager Carlo Ancelotti.
Indeed, as per the report, the Italian tactician has informed the Frenchman that he is the left-back that best fits the defensive requirements needed in the team.
Ancelotti’s decision to bench Fran Garcia in the UEFA Champions League game even though Mendy was unavailable and start David Alaba at left-back was taken as an indicator within the dressing room that the Frenchman remains the first-choice in the position.
So, it remains to be seen how the situation unfolds over the coming months, especially with Ancelotti’s future also uncertain as his contract expires in 2024.
