Real Madrid News
Real Betis frontrunners to sign 21-year-old Real Madrid starlet, Villarreal also keen
A number of prospects from Real Madrid’s Castilla outfit are expected to depart in the current transfer window following the team’s failure to achieve promotion to La Liga 2.
Sergio Arribas is perhaps the biggest name who is bound for the exit doors and following him could be fellow youngster Rafa Marin.
The 21-year-old is one of the most talented prospects to have come through the youth ranks in recent years and has been a permanent fixture in the Castilla outfit over the past couple of seasons.
Marin has also been called up to the first team on occasions, but has yet to make his debut for Carlo Ancelotti’s side. But given that Eder Militao, David Alaba, Antonio Rudiger, Nacho, and Jesus Vallejo are ahead of him in the pecking order, a pathway into the senior setup appears impossible.
As such, a summer departure looks likely, and according to a report from AS, Real Madrid’s La Liga rivals Real Betis are the frontrunners to sign Marin at this moment.
Los Verdiblancos are very interested in signing the 21-year-old prospect from the Spanish capital club. At the same time, a move to Betis also appeals to the defender as he would get a chance to play European football while he also happens to be from the Seville region.
Apart from Real Betis, Villarreal are also keen on signing Marin as a possible replacement for Pau Torres who has left for Aston Villa. But as things stand, Real Betis appear to be the best-placed club to secure the services of the young centre-half.
As far as Real Madrid are concerned, they would likely retain 50% of the player’s rights, like they did with Fran Garcia, who was re-signed this summer from Rayo Vallecano after he showed great progress and development.
A similar strategy is not ruled out with Marin as well and his departure would likely see Real Madrid have a buyback option.
Life at Real Madrid has gotten off to a rather torrid start for Turkish starlet Arda Guler, who has already faced a large number of setbacks since singing for Los Blancos.
Aged just 18, the winger-slash-midfielder has already picked up seven injuries in his senior career, which is cause for serious concern, especially since a couple of them have affected his ligaments – which is always bad news.
Hotly-tipped to be an exciting addition to the Madrid squad going forward, the youngster had to drop out of their pre-season tour early due to a meniscus injury.
This was treated conservatively, but after that did not yield good results, he had to undergo a procedure and seemed set to make the squad against Las Palmas, before another injury setback.
According to Diario AS, the new problem can keep him out for three weeks to a month, which means his Real Madrid debut may have to wait till early November, after the first El Clasico of the season on 28th October.
Guler’s history of fitness problems
In their report, AS also state that the Turkish teenager seems to have a propensity for injuries, accumulating seven of them in his career already.
There is also word going around that his recovery from this meniscus issue was rushed and not handled adequately.
That, combined with a stroke of bad luck means Real Madrid have to be very mindful of how Guler is reintegrated into the squad going forward.
This new injury is reportedly a thigh problem which will also need to be treated with caution.
A special recovery plan
Carlo Ancelotti stated before and after the Las Palmas clash that the plan was for Guler to have some minutes against the Canary Islanders, but he said that genetics, luck and a lack of sharpness have a big part to play in this relapse.
The Italian manager did say that this issue is not as serious, but all signs indicate that there is an urgent need to work on the youngster’s conditioning.
AS thus say that a specific plan has been devised since the summer to enhance Guler’s fitness and his resistance.
This is a programme that is reportedly similar to the one Rodrygo followed when he arrived from Brazil, much thinner than he is today, but without having sacrificed his football qualities.
