Real Madrid News
PSG president comments on possibility of facing Mbappe and Real Madrid at Club World Cup
Nasser Al-Khelaifi, president of Paris Saint-Germain, spoke ahead of the Club World Cup quarter-final against Bayern Munich during the team’s training camp in Atlanta.
PSG face off against the Bundesliga winners in a high-profile quarter-final match tonight. Should they prevail, the European champions would end up facing the winners of the quarter-final tie between Real Madrid and Borussia Dortmund.
The relationship between PSG and Real Madrid has strained in recent times, especially with Kylian Mbappe making the switch from the French capital to the Spanish capital last year.
In the following season, though, Les Parisiens won a historic treble, including the UEFA Champions League, and could get an opportunity to face Mbappe and Real Madrid later at the Club World Cup.
When asked about the possibility, Al-Khelaifi replied: “Right now, our plan is to finish the competition in the best possible way, and then we’ll talk about other things and the transfer market.
“Regarding Mbappe and Real Madrid, we’ll win the quarterfinals first, and then we’ll talk about the semifinals.”
The PSG president once again reiterated that they are taking things one game at a time and are focused on getting past Bayern Munich and into the semi-finals.
“It’s a tough game, that’s for sure, but I have confidence in my players. It’s too early to say we’re going to win this competition. We’re in the quarterfinals,” he noted.
“We’re taking it one game at a time. We have a very tough game to reach the semi-finals, but I have confidence in tomorrow.”
There has been a lot of tension between PSG and Mbappe as well, with the Frenchman taking legal action against his former employers over unpaid wages prior to his exit in 2024.
So, a match-up between Mbappe’s Real Madrid and European champions PSG will certainly be one to watch out if it happens.
Source: AS
According to TeamTalk, Real Madrid have joined the growing list of clubs monitoring Gabriel Rajkovic, a 15-year-old winger whose rapid development at Valerenga has already attracted attention from several of Europe’s leading sides.
The Merengues are known for keeping an eye on exciting young talent across the globe and it seems that Rajkovic’s exploits in Norway, with the first team, have alerted them.
Real Madrid keeping tabs on Rajkovic
As per the report, Real Madrid are among a host of clubs closely following the progress of the young forward.
Rajkovic holds both Norwegian and Serbian nationality and has emerged as one of the most promising young players in Norway.
His development has not gone unnoticed, with Barcelona, Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund also understood to be monitoring him.
However, at this point, it is Arsenal and Chelsea, who are understood to be leading the charge for Rajkovic, having compiled a detailed dossier on the teenage prodigy after extensive scouting.
On top of that, the likes of Liverpool, Manchester City, Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur have all watched Rajkovic in recent weeks.
Real Madrid could therefore face significant competition if they decide to step up their interest in a player who has already made an impression at senior level.
Making an impact at just 15
Rajkovic was handed a promotion to the Valerenga first-team squad in January earlier this year, when he was only 14 years old.
Following that, he signed a new contract with the club in March, when he turned 15, committing to the club until 2028.
Despite being only 15, the winger has already begun gaining experience in first-team football. In all, he has made 14 senior appearances for the Norwegian outfit, scoring three and assisting one goal.
Rajkovic has also represented Norway Under-16s, making two appearances and scoring once despite being younger than many of his teammates.
Those numbers become more impressive when his age and stage of development are taken into account.
Real Madrid have built a reputation for identifying young talent well before players reach their peak, and Rajkovic has now emerged as another name on their scouting radar.
But given the number of clubs in the race, signing the teenage wonderkid will not be easy.
