Real Madrid News
PSV waiting for Real Madrid to sign Man United target as Benzema’s successor
Cody Gakpo was one of the Netherlands’ leading attacking figures during their World Cup campaign this month. Although the Oranje were eliminated by Argentina in the quarterfinals, the PSV Eindhoven attacker made an impression with his productivity in front of goal.
Gakpo’s performances have not gone unnoticed, with Real Madrid among the clubs interested in his services. It appears the Dutchman has become a target for Carlo Ancelotti as part of his plans to reinforce the attacking department in the upcoming January transfer window.
Gakpo’s current contract at PSV does not expire until 2026, meaning interested parties may have to fortune for his services, even though the player could be up for sale in January.
A report from Diario AS has offered a fresh update on the Dutchman’s future, indicating that PSV Eindhoven are indeed open to the sale of the attacking starlet and are, in fact, waiting for Real Madrid to make an official bid for the player.
PSV legend Rene Van de Kerkhof has stated, “I have reliable Spanish sources that report that Real wants to get Cody Gakpo as Benzema’s successor.”
The Eredivisie giants are aware of the fact that Real Madrid are interested in Gakpo, who has been identified as an ideal alternative for Karim Benzema. The Frenchman, after all, has had his issues with injuries lately, leaving the Whites devoid of a reliable goalscorer.
The club are expected to splurge big on Endrick, but the Brazilian sensation is not expected to arrive until 2024, whereas Erling Haaland is currently an unattainable target for the club.
That is where Cody Gakpo comes into the fray. At the age of 23, the forward offers abundant experience and goalscoring prowess that could make him an ideal leader of the Real Madrid frontline in the years to come.
But with PSV unwilling to sell the Dutchman on a cut-price deal, it remains to be seen whether Real Madrid are in a position to sign the player in the upcoming January transfer window.
In what could be a real deal breaker for Real Madrid ahead of their Copa del Rey semi-final second leg clash against Barcelona, it has been revealed that as many as three Barça will be absent from the game while another key player remains a major doubt.
The list includes the likes of Pedri, Ousmane Dembele and Andreas Christensen. The trio is certain to miss the game through respective injuries while a certain Frenkie de Jong is more or less ruled out, as per Javi Miguel.
It must be remembered that Barcelona are heading into the second leg with a 1-0 advantage. But the absence of the aforementioned players means Madrid can work on exploiting the frailties.
Despite the absence of such big names, Barcelona did pretty well against Elche in their previous outing, coming out 4-0 victorious, with the goals coming from Robert Lewandowski, Ansu Fati and Ferran Torres.
With options lacking in midfield, Xavi decided to use the likes of Sergi Roberto and Eric Garcia along with Gavi in the heart of the lineup. In any way, they do have Sergio Busquets and Franck Kessie as backups if needed.
The defence, on the other hand, was perfectly guarded by Jordi Alba, Marcos Alonso, Ronald Araujo and Jules Kounde.
One can expect Xavi to once again interchange Araujo with Kounde on the right since the Uruguayan has been rather successful in minimizing the threat of Vinicius Jr.
As far as Madrid are concerned, they are sweating over the fitness of three key defenders, namely, Antonio Rudiger, Nacho, and Ferland Mendy. Between these three, the Frenchman is out for about a month while Rudiger and Nacho are expected to be back before the Clasico.
If there are no casualties against Real Valladolid, Madrid will have a perfect midfield and attack, with only Mariano Diaz missing.
