Real Madrid News
Liverpool manager breaks silence on star defender’s links to Real Madrid
As has been reported this week, Real Madrid have made Liverpool mainstay Trent Alexander-Arnold their priority target for the summer of 2025.
The 26-year-old right-back is in the final year of his contract with the Premier League bigwigs and is yet to agree to a new deal.
It has left the door open for clubs like Real Madrid, as well as Barcelona and Bayern Munich, to explore the possibility of signing the England international on a free transfer in 2025.
Arne Slot talks Real Madrid’s interest in Alexander-Arnold
Real Madrid have held a long-standing interest in Alexander-Arnold and their pursuit of the right-back, as a long-term successor for Dani Carvajal, is no hidden secret.
As such, Liverpool manager Arne Slot, during an interaction with the media, addressed the links between Alexander-Arnold and Real Madrid head-on, stating that it is only natural for the best players to attract interest from the top clubs.
“Well, our players are used to being linked with all the top clubs on a daily basis,” said the Dutch tactician, as quoted by Fabrizio Romano.
However, Slot insisted that the rumours do not affect Alexander-Arnold’s performances for Liverpool in any way, saying:
“If you think they’re disturbed by these interests, then I think you don’t do justice to how used they are to this.”
Continuing, he added: “You just focus on what you have to do. Maybe if you’re 17 or 18 years of age, that could be difficult for you. But Trent has won the league, has won the Champions League, Virgil van Dijk and Salah are the same.”
Slot, earlier in the week, was tight-lipped about the Real Madrid target’s contract negotiations, though, stating that he cannot say anything about it at this point.
“No. I can’t tell you anything about that,” he said.
Upon again being asked what’s happening with the full-back’s contract, he noted, “Same question, same answer, there will always be talks and it is normal that you asked.”
Real Madrid News
Mourinho reacts to Vinicius suspension: “Why announce it two hours before an important match?”
Real Madrid manager Jose Mourinho has questioned the RFEF Disciplinary Committee’s decision to announce Vinicius Jr.’s four-match suspension just hours before their UEFA Champions League meeting with AS Roma on Wednesday.
The Brazilian has been hit with a four-match ban for his red card against Villarreal, meaning he will miss the matches against Sevilla, Barcelona, Racing Santander, and Valencia.
And, speaking to Movistar+ (h/t MARCA) before the match, the Real Madrid manager was asked whether the punishment could affect the Brazilian psychologically.
Mourinho instead turned his attention to the football authorities and the timing of their announcement.
“I think that is a question for the Committee. Why have they announced the suspension at this particular moment? If you are asking me this question, it is presumably because you think it could affect him,” the Portuguese coach replied.
“You should ask the Committee why they did not announce it this morning, or tomorrow morning. Why do they do it two hours before a match that is important for Real Madrid, which is a Spanish club?” he added, questioning the timing of the decision.
Mourinho explains his tactical approach against Roma
The Real Madrid manager also outlined his plan for facing a Roma side known for their aggressive pressing.
“My intention is to stop them from pressing us so high up the pitch, given the players we have available and as a precaution,” he said.
Continuing, the Portuguese manager added: “They press man-to-man higher up the pitch better than anyone else, and we will see whether we can take advantage of that. If not, they will have to drop their press five or ten metres.”
Why Rudiger over Huijsen
Mourinho also justified his decision to start Antonio Rudiger at centre-back alongside Ibrahima Konate rather than Dean Huijsen.
“They played very well together in the last match, Rudiger and Konate, showing great leadership and the ability to withstand a difficult situation when we had ten men for 30 minutes,” he said.
“I am not saying Dean is not capable of playing a match like this, but this is a wonderful atmosphere for Roma and a difficult one for us. I think a player with Antonio’s experience can be important,” Mourinho added.
Finally, Mourinho was asked about his emotions ahead of returning to face Roma, the club he managed between 2021 and 2024.
The Portuguese coach offered a brief response, saying that he had his feelings about the occasion “blocked”.
