Real Madrid News
Official: Real Madrid confirm Atletico Madrid has rejected €150 million bid for Barcelona target
In a rare sight in professional football, Real Madrid have confirmed that their bid worth €150 million for Julian Alvarez has been rejected by Atletico Madrid.
This is not as per rumours or speculations. The club itself have confirmed that they had tabled a bid to sign the Atletico Madrid forward.
It is a bizarre development given that the official club statements are usually carried out once a club have signed a player.
What Real Madrid said
In the statement, Real Madrid have mentioned that after a meeting with the board of directors, the club had tabled a mega bid for Alvarez.
“Real Madrid CF announces that, following today’s Board of Directors meeting, it has made an offer of 150 million euros to Club Atlético de Madrid for the federative rights of the player Julián Álvarez,” the statement read.
But the offer was swiftly rejected by Atletico Madrid, which cited the player’s release clause.
“After studying and evaluating it, Atlético de Madrid has thanked the club for the offer, made within the framework of the good relations existing between both clubs, and has rejected it, referring to the player’s release clause,” the statement added.
Is there a deeper story?
Atletico Madrid’s decision to reject Real Madrid is surprising given that most media reports have pointed to a figure of around €130 million being enough to sign Alvarez.
It is, therefore, likely that Atleti did not want to sell their star player to a direct rival like Real Madrid.
Perhaps the most likely scenario is that Alvarez himself did not want to join Real Madrid, as he has reportedly set his sights on a move to Barcelona.
The Catalans, for their part, are not in a position to make a huge offer for the Argentine international, so it will be interesting to see what the future holds for the talented attacker this summer.
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.
