Real Madrid News
PSG want Mbappe to decide on contract extension by May amid Real Madrid links
Paris Saint-Germain’s woes in Europe continued as they suffered a defeat to Bayern Munich, effectively sealing their elimination from the UEFA Champions League.
PSG’s exit from the elite competition will once again lead to question marks over the management and the team. According to The Athletic, the defeat may have consequences on the future of their three stars players as well, including Kylian Mbappe.
It appears the Frenchman’s future is once again up in the air, amid interest from Real Madrid. Although the Spanish giants had missed out on the player last summer, they have discreetly continued to monitor the attacker’s situation at PSG.
As per the report, PSG are aware of Mbappe’s mixed feelings over his current spell at Parc des Princes. The club would, therefore, demand a definitive decision from the attacker ahead of the coming summer, knowing his potential exit could bring about a major overhaul.
With his current contract expiring in 2024, PSG want Mbappe to make a decision by May. Depending on his response, the club would then decide whether or not to sell the player in the summer or keep him around until 2024, as there is a clause that could extend the contract until 2025.
This could serve as a major boost for Real Madrid. Given the ongoing fitness struggles of Karim Benzema, it is apparent that the club require significant reinforcement in the attacking department this coming summer, especially in the goalscoring department.
The Whites have been linked with a move for Dusan Vlahovic and Kingsley Coman, among others. But the addition of Mbappe could make a major impact in the frontline, especially with Vinicius Junior partnering alongside the Frenchman in the final third.
However, it must be noted that signing Mbappe could be financially tricky for Real Madrid. The fact that La Liga has clamped down hard on Financial Fair Play does not make it easier for Los Blancos either, so it will be interesting to see how things transpire in the coming months.
Real Madrid News
Real Madrid locker room angry with Barcelona midfielder’s ‘unsportsmanlike’ behaviour – report
While the evident frustration among the Real Madrid players was quite visible following the recent 1-2 defeat against Barcelona, the feeling of vexation was not really limited on the field.
Journalist Mario Cortegana, while writing for The Athletic, has confirmed that once the players got into the dressing room, the environment had an air of anger and frustration.
Players from each team had a go at each other right till the end, especially the likes of Dani Carvajal and Arnau Tenas, who had to be separated by several members from both teams.
Interestingly, before the aforementioned incident, Barcelona midfielder Gavi was already causing some trouble on the field. The youngster did not shy away from putting his body on the line throughout the game and it annoyed Madrid players to the extreme.
First, he pushed Carvajal in one incident and after that, he entangled himself in an off-the-ball clash with Dani Ceballos. The Madrid midfielder first had a collision with Robert Lewandowski and as the game moved on, Gavi made note of the incident.
During the run of play, Gavi pushed Ceballos with his shoulder and it did not settle well with the Madrid players and manager Carlo Ancelotti. The players and the manager were disturbed by Gavi’s behaviour and considered it ‘unsportsmanlike’.
On the other hand, there was frustration involving refereeing decisions as well. It must be remembered that in the 82nd minute, Marco Asensio found the back of the net to send the Madrid fans into a frenzy.
The celebration, however, was cut short as VAR disallowed the goal for an extremely tight offside. “We are sad, frustrated,” a dressing room source told The Athletic. “What happened? A guy looking at a TV in Madrid has decided La Liga.”
Ancelotti, on his part, said: “The disallowed goal? I don’t know, I really don’t know. I don’t know, I don’t know, I don’t know. I’m leaving with this doubt. If the VAR is sure.”
“I leave this match very proud. I don’t think we deserved to lose today,” he added.
