Real Madrid News
Official: Real Madrid star Jesus Vallejo joins Granada on loan
Real Madrid have officially confirmed that defender Jesus Vallejo has left the club to sign for Granada on loan for the 2023/24 season.
Talks of a loan exit for the 26-year-old defender gathered steam on Friday and it quickly emerged that the centre-back could be on his way to Granada.
And now, the move has been officially confirmed with the statement from Real Madrid reading: “Real Madrid CF and Granada CF have agreed on the loan of the player Jesús Vallejo for this season, until June 30, 2024.”
Vallejo has been at Real Madrid since 2015 but has largely spent his time away on loan, having had stints at Real Zaragoza, VfB Stuttgart, Wolves, and Granada (twice).
As such, this will be the 26-year-old’s third temporary stint with Granada. Vallejo first joined the Nazaríes in January 2020 and spent the second half of the 2019/20 campaign at the club.
A few months later, Vallejo would return to Granada in the summer of 2020 and was at the club for the entirety of the 2020/21 season. Across his 18-month stint at the club, the defender made 51 appearances for them, more than what he has for Real Madrid (31).
The Spaniard has hardly played for Real Madrid over the past couple of campaigns since returning from his loan stint with Granada.
With Carlo Ancelotti making it clear to Vallejo that he does not belong in his plans, the defender has opted to return to familiar surroundings in Granada, where he will be hoping to impress in the 2023/24 season.
Real Madrid News
Real Madrid full-back never considered summer exit, would retire at club if given chance
Ferland Mendy finds himself in a difficult situation at Real Madrid. The Frenchman has struggled with injury and fitness woes for a large part of the past year, leading to doubts over his future at the club.
In fact, it had been reported that Los Blancos were considering selling Mendy during the summer transfer window earlier this year itself.
But, such a move did not materialise and the 28-year-old has stayed put at the Santiago Bernabeu although reports suggest that he is likely to be on the move next year.
Mendy would retire at Real Madrid if he could
Despite there having been numerous reports about his future in the summer, The Athletic reports that Mendy did not consider the possibility of an exit at any point.
In fact, the report adds that if given a chance, the 28-year-old defender would retire at Real Madrid.
Mendy’s contract with Los Merengues expires in 2025 and he is understood to be seeking a renewal for a while now, but there has been no move made by the club.
The injuries that the 28-year-old has picked up are understood to be a major deterrent for Real Madrid, which is why they are already looking to reinforce the left-back position with Alphonso Davies next year.
Mendy enjoys Ancelotti’s trust
Despite the non-stop speculations surrounding him, Mendy continues to enjoy the full trust of manager Carlo Ancelotti.
Indeed, as per the report, the Italian tactician has informed the Frenchman that he is the left-back that best fits the defensive requirements needed in the team.
Ancelotti’s decision to bench Fran Garcia in the UEFA Champions League game even though Mendy was unavailable and start David Alaba at left-back was taken as an indicator within the dressing room that the Frenchman remains the first-choice in the position.
So, it remains to be seen how the situation unfolds over the coming months, especially with Ancelotti’s future also uncertain as his contract expires in 2024.
