Real Madrid News
Real Madrid did not make a move for PSG new signing as they feared another ‘Jovic case’
Real Madrid ended the summer transfer window with the notable purchase of Jude Bellingham, who promises to be an asset for the club in the years to come.
But the Spanish giants failed to bring in Kylian Mbappe or any other striker that can at least momentarily replace Karim Benzema.
Real Madrid did not much of an effort to sign any of the available options in the market, including Randal Kolo Muani.
Here’s why Real Madrid did not sign Kolo Muani
A recent report from The Athletic has explained why Real Madrid did not make any effort to sign Kolo Muani, who joined PSG on transfer deadline day.
The report explains that Real Madrid were not happy with Kolo Muani’s €90-100 million price tag. The Frenchman indeed joined PSG for a whopping €95 million.
PSG paid a fortune to Kolo Muani because of his extraordinary performances at Eintracht Frankfurt. The former Nantes starlet was indeed involved in 29 league goals during his debut season in the Bundesliga.
Kolo Muani’s price tag, though, was not the only reason behind Real Madrid’s decision to not go after the French international.
The Athletic suggests Los Blancos took a cautious approach with the Frankfurt starlet as they desperately wanted to avoid another Luka Jovic scenario.
Real Madrid, indeed, were left in a precarious spot when Jovic failed to make any impact at Santiago Bernabeu after joining the club for a fee of €63 million in 2019.
After leaving Real Madrid to join Fiorentina on a free transfer last year, Jovic has signed for AC Milan this summer, once again on a free transfer.
Nevertheless, with Kolo Muani signing for PSG, Real Madrid are left with Joselu as the only recognised centre-forward, which puts the stress on the injured Vinicius Junior.
It will be interesting to see how Los Blancos manage their goalscoring department during the first half of the season and whether or not they are forced to sign a new attacker come January.
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.
