Real Madrid News
Real Madrid and Barcelona in El Clasico battle for 23-year-old Manchester United defender
Real Madrid have set their sights on Manchester United right-back Diogo Dalot after being rebuffed in their attempts to land Joao Cancelo from Manchester City. But they will likely face competition from arch-rivals Barcelona in the race.
This claim comes from the Mirror, who state that manager Carlo Ancelotti has asked the club to sign a new full-back who has experience at the highest level but also has plenty of years left ahead of him.
Cancelo, to that end, had emerged as the top target for Real Madrid. But, the reigning champions of Spain and Europe have been told to forget any hopes of landing the Portuguese international from Manchester City.
It has led to the Merengues moving on to the next name on their list, which is Cancelo’s compatriot and Manchester United star Diogo Dalot.
The 23-year-old has grown into a regular in the first-team setup at Old Trafford over the past year, following the sacking of Ole Gunnar Solskjaer. Having featured regularly under interim boss Ralf Rangnick last season, he has continued to be the first-choice right-back under Erik ten Hag.
Dalot has been at Manchester United for four years now, out of which he spent a season out on loan at AC Milan. So, he has plenty of top-level experience, while his age means that the defender still has many years left in the tanker, thus fitting Ancelotti’s requirements.
The report claims that Real Madrid have been watching Dalot regularly in the last few months and have been left impressed by the Portuguese international, both professionally and personally.
What makes him an even more attractive prospect is the fact that Dalot’s current contract with Manchester United expires in 2023. The Red Devils have the option to extend it unilaterally by one more year, which they are expected to trigger.
However, the former FC Porto ace’s agent has confirmed that, as things stand, the right-back will not sign a new contract with the Premier League giants. Such a situation could compel United to sell Dalot in the summer of next year.
In that scenario, Manchester United could demand a sum of at least £35 million for Dalot. Although Barcelona are also keen on the defender, Real Madrid will be in a better financial position to meet the asking price.
Ancelotti currently has Dani Carvajal and Lucas Vazquez as options at right-back. However, both are in their thirties and the latter has endured fitness problems over the last year.
So, investing in a new, proven player in the position could be a prudent move on Real Madrid’s part. Whether they go after Dalot with more intent will be interesting to see.
Jose Felix Diaz has reported via MARCA that Real Madrid want a major change in the Spanish refereeing system.
The reporter writes that the team from the Spanish capital has taken the issue as their top priority mostly because of what happened in the recent derby defeat against Atletico Madrid.
Los Blancos are determined to relentlessly steer a significant overhaul of the refereeing structure, and they have no intention of resting in their pursuit.
Their discontent comes not only from recent events, particularly the contentious derby match but also from a deep-seated frustration with the state of refereeing itself.
Real Madrid not hiding their discontent
The journalist mentions that Real Madrid are unapologetic about their continuous criticism of the refereeing community, firmly believing that a transformation is of utmost importance.
Even prior to the emergence of the Negreira case, the Merengues had been vocal about their dissatisfaction with those responsible for overseeing the refereeing unit.
For what it is worth, the revelation of the former vice president of the CTA’s financial ties to Barcelona only solidified Real Madrid’s resolve to advocate for a complete overhaul in referee management.
Real Madrid are suspicious
Real Madrid firmly assert that any influence from Negreira’s historical decisions in certain key positions raises suspicions about the fairness of the competition.
For that, the management will do everything in its power to achieve a certain level of transparency within the organization that it believes is currently overshadowed by historical baggage.
As of today, Real Madrid continue to voice their concerns through their official channels.
Right now their ultimate goal is to eliminate the involvement of Clos Gomez in VAR decisions, marking the beginning of a long-standing battle they are fighting.
