Real Madrid News
Manchester United want Real Madrid veteran after failing to convince Frenkie de Jong
In a recent turn of events, Manchester United have decided to shift their attention to veteran midfielder Casemiro as they continue to fail in their pursuit of Barcelona’s Frenkie de Jong.
According to a report from MARCA, Man United manager, Erik ten Hag has found himself amidst several operational issues. Apart from the obvious Cristiano Ronaldo conundrum, he cannot seems to find the right path to sign a number 6 for his new team.
While he is certain that a midfielder should ideally arrive, there aren’t many options available in the market.
Now, if what Jose Felix Diaz has written for MARCA is to be believed, a few representatives of the Premier League club are already in Madrid as they continue to assess their options before the transfer window slams shut.
United have been drifting in and out over de Jong’s speculation for a long time, and now they have made peace with the fact that the Dutchman is beyond their reach, they are considering Casemiro as a potential reinforcement.
For now, United haven’t approached Real Madrid with a formal offer as they are entangled in signing Adrien Rabiot at the moment. Once that is done, United could move to acquire Casemiro.
As far as Real Madrid are concerned, the management understands Casemiro has the confidence of Carlo Ancelotti. This can be understood by the fact that he clocked a total of 2,838 minutes last season which was more than both Luka Modric and Toni Kroos.
The only players head of him were Thibaut Courtois, Eder Militao, Vinicius Jr, David Alaba and Karim Benzema.
The situation for the new season, however, could change now that Real have Aurelien Tchouameni in their ranks, which could potentially hamper the Brazilian’s game time and thus give Man United the edge they are looking for.
Real Madrid News
Real Madrid weighing up January move for €70 million-rated Arsenal midfielder – report
Real Madrid’s midfield is the one department where Jose Mourinho sees clear scope for improvement, especially given that the club did not sanction his wish for a top midfield signing in the summer.
While Bernardo Silva has chipped in as a handy option to feature in the deep midfield, the club still lacks a controlling and creative option who can glue the team together.
In that sense, there is a clear lacuna that Real Madrid need to address and Defensa Central brings to light that the club have opened up to a potential target.
Zubimendi emerges as a target
Indeed, the player in question is Arsenal’s Martin Zubimendi who the club have seen as a target for a long time, and Real Madrid could even go on to sign him in January.
The Spanish international has not started off the new season well under Mikel Arteta and has primarily featured as a substitute. He does, thus, see a move to Madrid with good eyes in every sense.
Real Madrid, for their part, have not ruled out his signing as was reported in recent months and there is even a chance they seriously pursue him in the winter transfer window as a mid-season fix.
The possible fee
The Spanish outlet also add that Zubimendi’s move to Real Madrid could be completed for a fee similar to what Arsenal paid for the player for his transfer from Real Sociedad – €70 million.
Mourinho’s insistence on making a new midfield signing is no secret, and with a clear target now in mind, the board could well back him with the player he wishes.
Notably, however, even Chelsea are seriously interested in his signing.
So far, Federico Valverde has been Real Madrid’s mainstay in midfield, and Aurelien Tchouameni’s return will change the team’s dynamics in the department.
Neither player, however, offers the control and distribution skill set that the team direly lack.
A big part of whether or not the club pushes for Zubimendi, however, will depend on how the Valverde-Tchouameni combination plays out in the coming months. It is, after all, the manager’s first-choice combination for big games.
