Real Madrid News
Real Madrid defensive outcast on the radars of Serie A champions – report
Real Madrid full-back Alvaro Odriozola is largely expected to leave the team this summer and if a report from Mundo Deportivo is to be believed, the 27-year-old’s next destination could be the Italian Serie A.
It has been reported before that Odriozola might return to Real Sociedad, where it all started for the right-back, but as it turns out, the 27-year-old has now attracted interest beyond the Spanish shores as well.
Who in Italy are interested?
As reported by Mundo Deportivo, Italian champions Napoli are looking to strengthen their defence and their search has brought them to Odriozola, an unwanted commodity at Real Madrid.
The Serie A giants are considering Odriozola’s experience of playing in Italy, having spent the 2021-22 season on loan at Fiorentina where he made27 appearances across all competitions, scoring a solitary goal.
Napoli manager Rudi Garcia is well aware of the 27-year-old’s past performances and he sees Odriozola as a decent candidate to strengthen the right-back spot.
As of now, while the interest continues to persist, they have not made the final decision yet.
Real Madrid want to sanction Odriozola’s exit
Odriozola’s current contract with Real Madrid runs until 2024 but the team from the capital city is intent on getting rid of the right-back before the new season starts.
The player, for his part, has accepted his fate and is currently evaluating all his options before making a decision.
Odriozola has not played for Real Madrid in either of their two pre-season friendly matches against AC Milan and Manchester United on their tour of the USA.
That he will be offloaded as part of Real Madrid’s transfer strategy is absolutely certain, but as of today, there are no bids, and neither an agreement is in place with any team.
Real Madrid News
Real Madrid full-back never considered summer exit, would retire at club if given chance
Ferland Mendy finds himself in a difficult situation at Real Madrid. The Frenchman has struggled with injury and fitness woes for a large part of the past year, leading to doubts over his future at the club.
In fact, it had been reported that Los Blancos were considering selling Mendy during the summer transfer window earlier this year itself.
But, such a move did not materialise and the 28-year-old has stayed put at the Santiago Bernabeu although reports suggest that he is likely to be on the move next year.
Mendy would retire at Real Madrid if he could
Despite there having been numerous reports about his future in the summer, The Athletic reports that Mendy did not consider the possibility of an exit at any point.
In fact, the report adds that if given a chance, the 28-year-old defender would retire at Real Madrid.
Mendy’s contract with Los Merengues expires in 2025 and he is understood to be seeking a renewal for a while now, but there has been no move made by the club.
The injuries that the 28-year-old has picked up are understood to be a major deterrent for Real Madrid, which is why they are already looking to reinforce the left-back position with Alphonso Davies next year.
Mendy enjoys Ancelotti’s trust
Despite the non-stop speculations surrounding him, Mendy continues to enjoy the full trust of manager Carlo Ancelotti.
Indeed, as per the report, the Italian tactician has informed the Frenchman that he is the left-back that best fits the defensive requirements needed in the team.
Ancelotti’s decision to bench Fran Garcia in the UEFA Champions League game even though Mendy was unavailable and start David Alaba at left-back was taken as an indicator within the dressing room that the Frenchman remains the first-choice in the position.
So, it remains to be seen how the situation unfolds over the coming months, especially with Ancelotti’s future also uncertain as his contract expires in 2024.
