Real Madrid News
Manchester United’s Eduardo Camavinga pursuit hits immediate roadblock
Manchester United are continuing their search for reinforcements in midfield, but Eduardo Camavinga is not yet a realistic option despite growing admiration for the Real Madrid midfielder.
The Premier League club have identified the French international as one of the players who fits the profile they are looking for, yet the situation has not progressed beyond internal discussions.
According to transfer specialist Fabrizio Romano, there have been no formal negotiations between Manchester United and Real Madrid, largely because Camavinga has no intention of leaving the Santiago Bernabeu this summer.
This is because the 22-year-old remains focused on establishing himself under new manager Jose Mourinho, making any transfer highly unlikely despite continued interest from England.
Manchester United monitoring Camavinga
As Manchester United assess options to strengthen the defensive midfield after Casemiro’s departure, Camavinga has emerged as one of several names discussed internally.
However, club officials understand that pursuing a deal at this stage would serve little purpose.
Romano reports that the Premier League side will only consider taking the next step if the player signals an openness to leaving Madrid.
Without that indication, there is no expectation of formal talks with either Camavinga or Real Madrid.
On that matter, the French midfielder’s stance has remained consistent throughout the summer.
Rather than seeking a new challenge, he wants to compete for a regular starting role and convince Mourinho that he deserves to be a key part of the squad.
That development has effectively brought Manchester United’s interest to a standstill before negotiations could even begin.
Camavinga determined to earn Mourinho’s trust
Camavinga’s commitment comes at a time when Real Madrid are exploring player sales in order to bring in new signings.
Despite the club’s willingness to listen to offers for certain players, the midfielder is not actively looking for an exit.
Instead, he sees the arrival of Mourinho as an opportunity to reset and prove his value after an inconsistent spell in the Spanish capital.
Real Madrid’s adventure so far under new coach Jose Mourinho has been far from perfect and this fact shouldn’t be lost even after the team’s brilliant comeback win over AS Roma in midweek.
However, there are areas where Los Blancos have shown a clear improvement under Mourinho, when compared to previous bosses such as Xabi Alonso and Alvaro Arbeloa.
One of those areas has been set plays, with Real Madrid appearing far more potent from set pieces this season.
A clear improvement from last season
As reported by Diario AS, the three goals in Rome, all from Arda Guler corners inside a seven-minute blitz, were the perfect advert for the work being done at Valdebebas.
Those strikes took Real Madrid’s set-piece tally to seven goals in just ten matches this season. Four of them have come in La Liga, one from a corner and three from free kicks, with the trio in Rome completing the haul.
It is a striking figure when set against last season’s return. Under Alonso and Arbeloa, Madrid managed 12 set-piece goals across the entire campaign, all in La Liga, split evenly between six from corners and six from free kicks.
On current trends, this side looks well placed to surpass that number comfortably.
The reason behind Real Madrid’s improvement
Attacking set pieces are led at Valdebebas by Pedro Machado, with the whole coaching staff involved and Mourinho himself giving the final green light on every routine.
Defending them, meanwhile, falls to Sami Khedira, though it is treated as a collective effort. Mourinho’s appreciation of that teamwork was clear when Bellingham headed in a Guler free kick against Espanyol, prompting the manager to leap up and embrace his assistants.
Machado, one of Mourinho’s most trusted lieutenants, has followed him from Fenerbahce to Benfica and now Madrid, part of a backroom team blending experience with young, ambitious talent.
On the pitch, Guler is the undisputed master when available, his left foot the key weapon, with Bernardo Silva, Trent Alexander-Arnold and even Diomande also trusted to initiate attacks.
Such meticulous strategy has helped Real Madrid turn into a potent side from set-pieces this season.
