Real Madrid News
Real Madrid could consider re-signing former academy graduate in the future
Ferland Mendy’s repeated injuries this season have forced Carlo Ancelotti to explore new avenues and options at left-back. The takeaway from the manager’s experimentation does not bode well for the Frenchman as it has now become increasingly clear that a new left-back is the need of the hour.
Mendy’s performances in defence may be good, but even Nacho Fernandez and Eduardo Camavinga have managed to produce the same impact.
Rayo Vallecano’s Fran Garcia has impressed the offices at Santiago Bernabeu and the academy graduate will return to Madrid come June. Thus, Mendy’s sale and Garcia’s return are seen as the twin foundations for the team next season.
According to reports from Sergio Santos (h/t Madrid Xtra), Miguel Gutierrez is another academy graduate who has not been forgotten.
He has been performing well for Girona this season at left-back and Los Blancos wish for him to garner more experience in the first division. In the long term, they see him as an able candidate to don the white shirt.
The 21-year-old moved to Girona in August 2022 for a fee of €4 million after a long and successful stint at Castilla. He made his first-team debut for Real Madrid in April 2021 and went on to make a handful of appearances for the senior team.
Gutierrez is known for his pace, technical ability, and attacking prowess, which makes him a valuable asset both in defence and going forward. Given his age and potential, Gutierrez could be a long-term option for Real Madrid at left-back.
In 27 La Liga appearances for Girona this season, Gutierrez has scored one goal and provided three assists. Further, he averages 0.7 key passes per game and has created six big chances. Most recently, he provided the assist for Valentin Castellanos’ opening goal in Girona’s 4-2 demolition of Real Madrid.
While there is no immediate plan to re-sign him right away, Real Madrid could consider the possibility a few years down the line once he has gained more experience at the top level.
Cristiano Ronaldo’s move to Saudi Arabia has triggered a wave of massive establishment within the country so much so that the league has approached players like Lionel Messi, Sergio Busquets, Sergio Ramos and even Karim Benzema.
Benzema’s departure from Real Madrid is imminent and if a report from Diaro AS is to be believed, the Frenchman contacted his former Madrid teammate, Ronaldo, to ask him for information about the Saudi league, living conditions and other teams.
All this because it is said that the legendary Frenchman has received a lucrative offer from the newly crowned Saudi Pro League champions Al Ittihad. As reported before, the star striker will earn more than €100 million per year across his two-year contract with the Saudi team.
At the moment, the Saudi government has approved all of Benzema’s requests and while it is said that he can join the team of his choice, Al Ittihad’s recent flirting had made them absolute favourites.
That said, the transfer may have taken a u-turn recently, as Benzema spoke about staying at Real Madrid for the foreseeable future.
“Speak to the fans? Speak about what? Why should I speak of the future if I’m in Madrid?”, Benzema said.
“It’s the internet speaking, and reality is not the internet.”
In a recent turn of events, Helder Costa openly spoke about Benzema’s arrival, saying that his team is ‘excited about the arrival of the Balon d’Or winner.’ As if that is not enough, a club fan also showed a Karim Benzema edit on the big screen during their title celebrations.
Meanwhile, since the transfer is not confirmed, Real Madrid continue to be uninformed of Benzema’s decision. And this remains a major problem for the team from the capital city as their summer transfer plan hinges on the continuity of the Frenchman.
At the moment, the team is said to be closing in on the signing of Joselu from Espanyol. However, it must be noted that the forward will only be arriving on a season-long loan as Madrid already have big plans for the summer of 2024, with Erling Haaland and Kylian Mbappe both lined up.
