Real Madrid News
Official: Nacho signs new contract with Real Madrid until 2024
Following the announcement of Toni Kroos’s contract extension on Wednesday, Real Madrid have officially confirmed that another veteran star, Nacho Fernandez, has signed a new deal with the club until 2024.
Like Kroos, Nacho’s previous contract was also about to expire on June 30. And there was some doubt over his extension as the player had not entirely been happy with the amount of game-time he had received in this past season.
Ultimately, though, the Spanish international has decided to prolong his stay at the Santiago Bernabeu for one more year, continuing his legacy as a one-club man.
“Real Madrid C. F. and Nacho Fernández have agreed to extend the contract of our captain, who remains linked to the club until 30 June 2024,” the official statement read.
Nacho has been with Real Madrid for more than two decades now, having joined the club as an 11-year-old back in 2001. He broke into the first team close to a decade ago and has gone on to make 319 appearances, winning several titles (23) along the way.
With Karim Benzema having left the club this summer, Nacho will be the first captain of the team for the upcoming season and will aim to lead his side to success after a middling 2022/23 campaign.
Jude Bellingham’s impact at Real Madrid this season is simply undeniable. However, what is even more fascinating is that if the Los Blancos had not signed him this summer, the team from the Spanish capital would have accumulated eight fewer points this season, reports AS.
The former Birmingham City and Borussia Dortmund midfielder has been in the thick of things ever since the first game of the season, which was a 2-0 win over Athletic Club away from home.
Since his opening day heroics, the England international has found the net six times in as many appearances across all competitions.
Too many draws without Bellingham
The 20-year-old midfielder has scored late winners in as many as three games for Madrid this season. In fact, among the matches Madrid have played this season, it was the opening game, against Athletic Club, that his goal was not decisive.
In that game, Rodrygo initiated the scoring, while the English international sealed the victory. It was a 0-2 triumph, which would still have been a win even without his contribution.
However, his impact was undeniable in the other encounters, such as the matches against Almeria (1-3, where he netted a brace and assisted Vinicius Jr’s goal), Celta (0-1), Getafe (1-0), and Union (1-0).
Where would Madrid be without him?
Once you do the math, that’s five goals scored in four games which transformed four draws into victories.
If it weren’t for Bellingham’s goals, Madrid’s League points would be six fewer, and their Champions League tally would be reduced by two, totaling eight points across all competitions. Although these are speculative scenarios, their credibility solidifies when examining the statistics.
As a result, Real Madrid have started with a flawless record of 18 points out of a possible 18 across all competitions.
We don’t really need to solidify the importance of last-minute goals in football, but if there was an award for it, Bellingham would be a worthy winner, to say the least.
