Real Madrid News
Real Madrid duo expected to sign new deals and continue at club next season
Some of Real Madrid’s biggest stars have just six months left on their contract at Santiago Bernabeu. Despite the time running out, however, there is a confidence that the veterans will stay at the club for the coming season at least.
Mario Cortegena brings an update regarding the futures of two of Real Madrid’s biggest stars – Karim Benzema and Luka Modric.
According to the Spanish journalist, both players are expected to remain in Madrid for the 2023-24 campaign and there is confidence over their renewals.
Both players have been vital pillars in the Real Madrid setup for over a decade now and were key elements in the side that went on to win three successive Champions League titles.
Last season too, the duo pioneered Los Blancos’ phenomenal run in the UCL with Benzema even winning the Ballon d’Or.
Both players have been far from their best this season, presumably because of the age factor catching up.
Benzema has scored nine goals and provided one assist in his La Liga campaign so far, a figure dwarfed by his mammoth 39 goal contributions last season. Injuries have not been kind to the Frenchman, but he has seemingly found his footing after the international break.
Ironically, the case with Modric is quite the opposite. The midfielder was at his imperial best in the first part of the season but appears to be subdued after his good run in Qatar.
The Croatian international will be 38 next season, and one would expect him to be gradually phased out over the next year. A similar scenario may face Benzema if the Merengues sign a quality centre-forward in June.
There is no way back for Eden Hazard at Real Madrid. The Belgian international has not given the management any reason to have faith in his abilities over his past four seasons at the club and is unsurprisingly the most important departure for the Merengues in the summer.
Hazard has one more year on his contract in Madrid. However, it is clear that Carlo Ancelotti does not trust him and that any potential replacement manager in the summer will echo his stance.
According to reports from Mundo Deportivo, Fenerbahce are willing to go all out to sign Hazard this summer. The Turkish side have made the former Chelsea their prime target, yet face a steep task ahead of them.
The 32-year-old is hellbent on seeing out his contract with Los Blancos despite seeing his career sink right before his eyes. It thus becomes complicated for the party to lure away the forward, especially in a competition outside Europe’s top five leagues.
Fenerbahce attempted to sign the winger in the recently concluded winter transfer market. They reached an agreement with Real Madrid but failed to get over the line as they could not convince the player of the move.
The biggest obstacle for the Turkish side will be convincing Hazard to make the move by letting go of his lucrative contract in Madrid. The chances are slim, but not impossible.
Hazard has made just three league appearances and one start for Ancelotti’s side this season in La Liga, a steep fall from last season’s 18 and seven respectively.
His last appearance for the team came back in January when Real Madrid faced Cacereno in the Copa del Rey. In La Liga however, he last played in September 2022 in a 4-1 win over Mallorca.
