Real Madrid News
Real Madrid content with options at right-back, will not sign anyone for the position
According to MARCA, Real Madrid are happy with their current options at the right-back position and will not look to sign a new player for the position in the summer.
This comes after reports emerged that Real Madrid had been offered Joao Cancelo last month, but passed up the chance to sign him. The Portuguese international eventually joined Bayern Munich on loan from Manchester City with a purchase option of €70 million.
Los Blancos decided against moving for the former Juventus man as they believe that they have no reasons to be concerned over the right-back position at this point, despite recent injuries to Dani Carvajal and Lucas Vazquez.
The report states that Real Madrid retain total faith in the duo, who still have over two years and one year, respectively, left on their contracts with the club. On top of that, they also have Alvaro Odriozola, who is also contracted until 2024, although a summer exit is on the cards for him.
In the meetings that have taken place to discuss the transfer strategies for next summer, the right-back position is understood to have not even come up for debate.
As iterated earlier, the Merengues have full confidence in Carvajal and Vazquez while Nacho Fernandez has also shown that he can be a reliable option in recent games.
Furthermore, Real Madrid believe that they have a number of talented young right-backs coming through the youth ranks, which negates the need to invest in a new player in the position.
Vinicius Tobias, who plays for Raul Gonzalez’s Castilla, is well-liked within Real Madridd. The club intend to sign him permanently from Shakhtar Donetsk but want to lower the €9 million fee previously agreed upon.
Apart from Tobias, there are other youngsters like the 17-year-old Alex Jimenez, who has already made his Castilla debut, and David Jimenez (18), who is tremendously trusted by youth team coach Alvaro Arbeloa. 15-year-old Jesus Fortea is also seen as a future right-back for the senior team.
Hence, Real Madrid are not worried about the recent issues in the right-back slot and believe that there is no immediate cause for concern when it comes to the position.
According to TeamTalk, Real Madrid have joined the growing list of clubs monitoring Gabriel Rajkovic, a 15-year-old winger whose rapid development at Valerenga has already attracted attention from several of Europe’s leading sides.
The Merengues are known for keeping an eye on exciting young talent across the globe and it seems that Rajkovic’s exploits in Norway, with the first team, have alerted them.
Real Madrid keeping tabs on Rajkovic
As per the report, Real Madrid are among a host of clubs closely following the progress of the young forward.
Rajkovic holds both Norwegian and Serbian nationality and has emerged as one of the most promising young players in Norway.
His development has not gone unnoticed, with Barcelona, Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund also understood to be monitoring him.
However, at this point, it is Arsenal and Chelsea, who are understood to be leading the charge for Rajkovic, having compiled a detailed dossier on the teenage prodigy after extensive scouting.
On top of that, the likes of Liverpool, Manchester City, Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur have all watched Rajkovic in recent weeks.
Real Madrid could therefore face significant competition if they decide to step up their interest in a player who has already made an impression at senior level.
Making an impact at just 15
Rajkovic was handed a promotion to the Valerenga first-team squad in January earlier this year, when he was only 14 years old.
Following that, he signed a new contract with the club in March, when he turned 15, committing to the club until 2028.
Despite being only 15, the winger has already begun gaining experience in first-team football. In all, he has made 14 senior appearances for the Norwegian outfit, scoring three and assisting one goal.
Rajkovic has also represented Norway Under-16s, making two appearances and scoring once despite being younger than many of his teammates.
Those numbers become more impressive when his age and stage of development are taken into account.
Real Madrid have built a reputation for identifying young talent well before players reach their peak, and Rajkovic has now emerged as another name on their scouting radar.
But given the number of clubs in the race, signing the teenage wonderkid will not be easy.
