Real Madrid News
Real Madrid bosses still vying for the signature of Spain World Cup hero
Real Madrid have already made a smart investment in the summer transfer window by signing Marc Cucurella, who has been arguably been the defender in the World Cup so far.
But Real Madrid’s market endeavours are far from over, with coach Jose Mourinho still looking to sign a new midfielder as well as a new centre-back.
For the midfield position, Real Madrid have long been linked with a move for Rodri, but his age profile has always been a problem for the club, as they are looking to make a long-term investment.
Some Real Madrid bosses still want Rodri
However, a recent report from Cadena SER (h/t Madrid Zone) has indicated that Real Madrid are not completely moved on from the idea of signing Rodri.
Some of the club’s hierarchy still harbour the hope of signing the Spanish international, in an attempt to add significant quality to Real Madrid’s midfield unit.
The departures of veterans Toni Kroos and Luka Modric has had a grave impact on Real Madrid’s midfield, with younger players such as Aurelien Tchouameni, Federico Valverde and Eduardo Camavinga failing to offer the same stability.
Tchouameni is set to be retained with a new contract, but he is not as effective in being the main link between defence and attack. That is where Rodri would be an immediate upgrade.
But as mentioned earlier, Real Madrid have reservations about the Manchester City player as he is already 30 and is in the final phase of his career. This won’t make him a long-term investment for the club.
Rodri’s heroic performances at the World Cup
Despite concerns about his age, Rodri has continued to impress at the World Cup, playing a key role in Spain’s success.
The Manchester City star has been the perfect anchorman in the middle of the park. His combination with the defenders and role in the build-up has made him the most crucial part of Spain’s play.
This was evident in the recent semifinal against France, where Rodri and Fabian Ruiz single-handedly controlled the play, giving no chance to Tchouameni, Adrien Rabiot or Manu Kone.
If Rodri puts out another heroic performance at the World Cup final against Argentina or Spain, it won’t be surprising to see Real Madrid becoming more serious about signing the midfielder.
Real Madrid News
Rayo Vallecano manager names the one Real Madrid figure he would remove from the team
Rayo Vallecano face a daunting trip to the Santiago Bernabeu to take on a wounded Real Madrid this weekend.
Life after Inigo Perez has not been kind to the Vallecas-based club, who have already had to travel to Camp Nou and now face a trip to the home of their city giants.
Speaking ahead of the game (h/t Madrid Xtra), Rayo Vallecano manager Benat San Jose was asked which Real Madrid player he would like to remove from the team before this weekend’s game.
Surprisingly, his choice was not Kylian Mbappe, Vinicius Junior or Thibaut Courtois.
“Mourinho”
Asked which Madrid player he would take out of the upcoming contest, Benat jokingly chose the man sitting on the opposition bench.
“Which Real Madrid player I’d remove from the match against them? Mourinho,” Benat said with a laugh.
The answer might have been delivered jokingly, but the Rayo coach immediately made clear just how highly he rates the Portuguese manager.
“He’s one of the best managers in history,” he added.
It is significant praise ahead of Saturday’s meeting at the Bernabeu.
Madrid’s squad contains enough individual quality to give any opposition coach several obvious answers, but Benat instead highlighted the influence Mourinho can have over the entire team.
That has become particularly relevant since the Portuguese coach returned to Madrid. His early work has focused on making a talented group function with greater collective discipline.
Courtois and Madrid’s attack also praised
Benat did not stop with the manager.
“They also have one of the best GKs in history and one of the best attackers in history,” he said.
Benat will definitely have seen how Thibaut Courtois played against Inter Milan in midweek and will hope that version does not turn up again this weekend.
Even when teams manage to create opportunities against Madrid, they still have to beat one of the defining goalkeepers of his generation.
At the opposite end, Madrid possess attacking quality capable of turning a match on its head.
The likes of Kylian Mbappe, Vinicius Junior and Jude Bellingham can all decide matches single-handedly.
Madrid have a point to prove
Madrid are coming off a disappointing loss to Real Betis in La Liga last weekend and will come into this game with a point to prove.
They will want to ensure that the loss to the Andalusian club was a one-off and that they return to winning ways against Rayo.
Their title rivals, Barça, have been flying high in the league, scoring goals and picking opponents apart for fun.
Madrid need to ensure that they do not hand too much early incentive to Barça, and it remains to be seen how Los Blancos fare against Rayo Vallecano.
