Real Madrid News
Liverpool manager opens up on Real Madrid priority target’s future
Real Madrid have made the signing of a new right-back an absolute priority for the summer transfer window and see Trent Alexander-Arnold as the main target.
The England international’s contract with Liverpool expires on June 30 and even though it has not been confirmed officially, everything suggests that he will be joining Real Madrid as a free transfer when his deal runs out.
In fact, Los Blancos are even considering approaching Liverpool to have Alexander-Arnold at the club in time for the FIFA Club World Cup in the summer.
Arne Slot tight-lipped on Alexander-Arnold situation
Amidst the growing speculation about Alexander-Arnold and his potential move to Real Madrid, Liverpool manager Arne Slot has opted to stay tight-lipped about the situation.
Indeed, when asked about the alleged deal between the right-back and Real Madrid, Slot said (h/t Fabrizio Romano):
“If there is any news, I wouldn’t say you are the first to know…. But as long as there is no news from us, this is not the place to talk about his situation.”
Liverpool have been successful in renewing the contracts of Virgil van Dijk and Mohamed Salah – both of whom were in situations similar to that of Alexander-Arnold a few weeks ago.
However, the Reds are likely to face defeat when it comes to their 26-year-old homegrown talent as he is believed to have agreed a move to the Santiago Bernabeu already.
What now remains to be seen is whether there is a possibility that Liverpool let him leave for Real Madrid before his contract expires on June 30 so that Alexander-Arnold can represent his new club at the Club World Cup.
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”.
