Real Madrid News
Liverpool midfielder sings praises of Luka Modric: “He was special”
Stefan Bajcetic has been a real find for Liverpool this year, with the youngster making six appearances in the Premier League in 2023, impressing onlookers with his tenacity and defensive prowess.
Formerly of the Celta Vigo starlet, it appears Bajcetic has a certain idol in the form of Luka Modric.
During an interview with The Times, Bajcetic has heaped praise on the Real Madrid midfielder, particularly for his control on the ball and the ability to dictate the tempo of the game.
“Modrić was special. He is very calm with the ball, he doesn’t feel pressure. If you press him, he knows everything that is around him that impressed me a lot. Hopefully one day I can be close to him, but I don’t know,” he told The Times.
Although Bajcetic has a completely different profile compared to Modric, it seems the young midfielder strives to be as good as the Croatian when it comes to spreading possession and making himself a reliable outlet on the ball.
At the age of 18, the Spaniard, who is of Serbian descent, has shown immense potential to become a long-term asset for a club like Liverpool, who are desperately looking for reliable options in the middle of the park.
The Reds have been notably linked with a move for Real Madrid’s top target Jude Bellingham in the coming summer.
Although the Spanish giants do have the financial upper hand over the Reds, who are also running the risk of potentially missing out on Champions League football next season, there are reports that Bellingham would prefer a move to Anfield due to Jurgen Klopp.
As for Bajcetic, he will be looking to carve out a place for himself in Klopp’s system by continuing his brilliant performances during the remainder of the season.
Real Madrid News
Real Madrid midfielder trained away from the group last week, but has no injury – report
With the international break underway, several Real Madrid players have been called up for national team assignments. The stars who have not travelled for international duty have continued to work at the club’s Valdebebas training facility to prepare for the restart.
Toni Kroos is one such player who has remained in Madrid, having retired from international football back in 2021.
However, there had been concerns growing around the 33-year-old’s physical condition as he regularly did indoor work last week and was not spotted in group training with his teammates.
Now, Sergio Quirante has come up with an update on Kroos’ situation, stating that even though the midfielder largely did individual work inside the facilities over the last week, he is fine and has no injuries.
Taking advantage of the international break, the former Bayern Munich superstar is understood to have gone through an individual program to prepare for the final, decisive stretch of the 2022/23 season.
Kroos not being injured comes as a big positive for Real Madrid, ahead of important games against Real Valladolid and Barcelona within the first five days of April.
The rest of the Real Madrid midfield contingent – Luka Modric, Eduardo Camavinga, Aurelien Tchouameni, Federico Valverde, and Dani Ceballos – are all away on international duties and could return with some fatigue from the travel.
So, it is important that Kroos is fully fit and ready to go as Real Madrid look to cut down the gap to the top of the table in La Liga and also make it to the finals of the Copa del Rey by overturning a first-leg deficit against Barcelona in the semi-finals.
Kroos has played 37 matches this season, chipping in with two goals and five assists in the process. With his contract expiring at the end of the season, it is still unclear whether he will renew or hang up his boots.
