Real Madrid News
Official: Real Madrid squad list to face Sevilla
After clinching back-to-back impressive wins against Barcelona and Elche, Real Madrid will face off against Sevilla at the Santiago Bernabeu on Saturday.
With Barcelona securing a win against Villarreal on Thursday, Los Blancos’ lead at the top of the table is back to three points and they must pick up a win at the Bernabeu to restore their six-point cushion over their eternal rivals.
Heading into the game versus Sevilla, Los Blancos have released the squad list for the encounter.
And the big news for Real Madrid is that Thibaut Courtois has returned to the squad, with manager Carlo Ancelotti already confirming that the Belgian will start against Los Nervionenses.
This will be Courtois’ first match for the Merengues after the international break, with the 29-year-old having been sidelined with sciatica.
Dani Ceballos and Mariano Diaz also remain unavailable as they continue to recover from their respective injury issues.
Just a while ago it was reported that Karim Benzema had injured himself in training and could miss the game against Sevilla. However, it seems that it was just false alarm as the Ballon d’Or winner has been named on the squad list by Ancelotti.
Elsewhere, there are no other surprises in the squad called up by Ancelotti, with the familiar faces making the list.
The manager also hinted that he could keep rotation at a minimum for Saturday’s encounter even though Real Madrid played on Wednesday night. So, the likes of Eduardo Camavinga, Nacho and Eden Hazard will again have to contend with minutes off the bench.
📋✅ ¡Nuestros convocados para el #RealMadridSevillaFC! pic.twitter.com/vRVehBv2Oc
— Real Madrid C.F. (@realmadrid) October 21, 2022
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.
