Real Madrid News
Modric talks about his contract renewal, says he won’t betray Madrid like Mbappe
A lot has been made of Kylian Mbappe’s decision to snub Real Madrid in the nth hour. When the deal seemed all but done, the Frenchman announced that he would renew his contract with PSG until 2025.
The youngster’s move has garnered him many haters in Madrid. There has been open criticism of the player, both inside and outside the dressing room. Luka Modric has joined in the parade, too.
Modric is out of contract in June and yet to renew with Los Blancos. When asked about the status of his extension by Partidazo Cope via Fabrizio Romano, the veteran midfielder took a sly dig at Mbappe by saying,
“I’ve not extended my contract with Real Madrid yet, but I won’t do like Mbappe. And I hope the club won’t do that to me!”
This is not the first instance of a Real Madrid player openly reacting to the French star’s renewal. On the day when PSG officially announced Mbappe’s extension, Karim Benzema posted a photo on Instagram of late hip-hop icon Tupac and a man who betrayed him.
He did explain the photo, though, saying that it was not about Mbappe.
“The Tupac photo was not against Mbappe, I put it up because I love Real Madrid. This is not a story of betrayal or anything. Every month and a half, I put up photos of Tupac, who’s my favourite,” he said.
As for Modric, his contract renewal is only a matter of time. Both parties involved have expressed their intention to reach an agreement several times in recent months, and an official announcement is expected after the UEFA Champions League final later this week.
In 12 UCL starts for Madrid this season, he has provided four assists and averages 1.3 key passes per game. The team’s unreal comeback against Chelsea in the quarterfinals would not be possible without his timely assist to Rodrygo.
Modric will play his fifth UCL final in Paris on Saturday, hoping to lift the prestigious trophy one more time before his retirement.
Real Madrid are looking towards a heavy splurge in the coming summer transfer window. After all, they do not even have another option given the sheer number of player departures already finalized.
Los Blancos have lost the services of Karim Benzema, Marco Asensio, Mariano Diaz, and Eden Hazard over the past week. While three of the four players predominantly featured on the bench, their presence in the squad gave Carlo Ancelotti’s side much-needed depth and a cushion of sorts.
The forward unit is, thus, the most prioritized department ahead of the transfer window. However, pieces are beginning to fall apart on other fronts and could potentially put the club in a difficult situation.
According to reports from Gianluca Di Marzio, Juventus are eyeing Lucas Vazquez and hope to sign him in the coming month. Contacts between the two parties have begun and the transfer fee discussed appears to be around the €6 million to €8 million ballpark given that he has just one year left on his contract.
The player, for his part, is willing to sign for the Italian giants given his relative lack of minutes at the Santiago Bernabeu. At 31 years of age, he understandably does not want to play a second-fiddle role.
Vasquez played part in 23 of Real Madrid’s 38 La Liga games last season, starting only on 12 occasions. Even in his few appearances, he averaged a mere 50 minutes per game.
The veteran completed the season with four goals and an assist to his name. Further, he averaged five defensive actions and a key pass in every game and feels hard done by his limited role.
Vazquez’s departure would place the club in a tricky situation as it would leave Real Madrid with only Dani Carvajal as a natural right-back option. Nacho Fernandez could, in theory, serve as the backup but a new signing for the position cannot be ruled out.
