Real Madrid News
Manchester City defender taken off injured vs Leeds ahead of Real Madrid clash
With Manchester City set to face Real Madrid in the UEFA Champions League semi-final first leg at the Santiago Bernabeu in three days, they may have been handed an injury blow ahead of the game.
The Cityzens are currently playing Leeds United in the Premier League and saw defender Nathan Ake get subbed off due to an injury.
The Dutchman has become a regular fixture in the starting XI for Pep Guardiola this season, operating as the first-choice left-back. He had only recently recovered from an injury and made his return earlier this week against West Ham United.
Having started the match against Leeds today, Ake had to be taken off ten minutes into the second half due to a suspected hamstring strain. The 28-year-old was replaced by Kyle Walker on the pitch.
Ake’s possible injury could come as a concern for Guardiola & co. ahead of some important fixtures coming up, none more so than the match against Real Madrid. The 28-year-old Dutchman has played 38 times across all competitions this season and even scored three goals.
Meanwhile, Kevin De Bruyne has also recovered from his injury as confirmed by Guardiola on Friday. And he started the game against Leeds United, although the Manchester City boss opted to rest other important stars like Jack Grealish, Bernardo Silva, John Stones, and Ruben Dias.
Real Madrid, who will play Osasuna in the finals of the Copa del Rey later tonight, will be watching the match at the Etihad Stadium with a close eye ahead of their meeting against City on Tuesday night. And Ake’s potential injury will be perceived as a boost.
Real Madrid News
Harry Kane ‘very close’ to completing Real Madrid move, only final details remain – report
Jude Bellingham’s move to Real Madrid was finally closed earlier today as officially confirmed by Borussia Dortmund on their website. Yet, the offices at Santiago Bernabeu have not even taken a break to celebrate their success.
According to reports from Alfredo Pedullà, Los Blancos are now completely focused on the acquisition of Harry Kane. The English striker’s arrival is very close to approaching closure and only a few details remain to be sorted.
The Real Madrid and Tottenham Hotspur representatives reportedly held a meeting today over the striker’s transfer. The agenda was to agree on a number for the transfer fee.
The Premier League side began the proceedings with an expectation of €100 to €110 million in exchange for Kane. However, the Merengues suggested a lower point at €80 to €90 million, albeit with the option to include bonuses.
There is not much separating the two parties at the moment, and the minor gap will be bridged in the coming days. Overall, the meeting ended with a broad understanding between the two clubs.
Carlo Ancelotti sees the English striker as the centre-piece of his attack for next season given the recent departure of Karim Benzema. After all, Kane has been one of football’s most consistent goalscorers over the past decade.
Yet, Los Blancos cannot afford to let their guard down with one signing and will need to rope in at least two more names in attack to serve as backup options. The exits of Mariano Diaz, Marco Asensio, and Eden Hazard leave them with no squad depth, after all.
Kane has scored 30, 17, and 23 goals in his last three seasons in the Premier League and is the epitome of consistency. Further, he had three assists in his most recent league season and created 14 big chances.
