Real Madrid News
Real Madrid eyeing £15 million market opportunity to replace injured defender in January – report
If the defeat against Celta Vigo at Santiago Bernabeu was not enough, Real Madrid’s situation could turn significantly worse in the coming days as they face two daunting clashes across competitions.
First, they host Manchester City at home in the UEFA Champions League and then play against Deportivo Alaves in La Liga. What complicates matters, however, is the thin defence Alonso is left with ahead of the games.
A combination of injuries and suspensions leaves the coach with limited options in both games, and it is clear that Eder Militao’s injury is one of the most concerning contributing factors.
After all, the Brazilian has again been ruled out for four months and leaves the manager with limited options in the department.
The January replacement
As relayed by Defensa Central in a recent report, the Real Madrid administration are not completely against signing a new defender in January given the club’s situation and are willing to make an exception on the unsaid rule of not signing players mid-season.
On that front, they are looking out for a top-quality centre-back who can serve not only as a temporary fix but a permanent solution – essentially preponing the priority of signing a new starting defender in the summer by six months.
Liverpool’s Ibrahima Konate, thus, has emerged as a serious option to replace Militao’s replacement in January and Liverpool ar reportedly open to selling him for a small fee to avoid losing him as a free agent in June. That sum stands at £15 million.
Recent weeks have seen Los Blancos doubt Konate’s signing given the centre-back’s relative lack of form and inconsistent fitness.
The Militao injury, however, was not something they saw coming and the situation is now seen to be an emergency.
After all, Alaba’s constant fitness setbacks and Militao being ruled out leave Alonso with Dean Huijsen, Antonio Rudiger, Raul Asencio and Joan Martinez as the only possible options in the department.
Konate and Liverpool have not been in great form so fa this season and the club’s initial hesitation towards signing him is understandable.
If he is indeed the only option available in January, however, the men in white should look past his recent frailties and focus on his decent track record in the medium term.
Real Madrid News
Real Madrid forward Vinicius Jr. admits finishing problem after another frustrating night vs Elche: ‘Can’t miss that much’
Vinicius Jr.’s difficult start in front of goal continued against Elche, and the Real Madrid forward did not need anyone to tell him he had missed another chance to make the difference.
The Brazilian finished the night without a goal despite having chances to get on the scoresheet, while his teammates could only watch from the bench as opportunities went begging.
Jose Mourinho had already identified the problem before kick-off, bluntly pointing to the issue facing his forward, stating, “He’s missing the goal.”
Vini offered an equally frank assessment afterwards.
Rather than hide from another frustrating evening, he accepted responsibility on social media: “The goals will come back; I can’t miss that much…”
Two chances, no finish for Vinicius
Vinicius had two particularly clear openings against Elche, but neither produced the finish Real Madrid needed from their star forward.
The first arrived when he found himself one-on-one with the opposition goalkeeper.
Instead of finding the net, Vinicius caught the ball with the tip of his foot and sent his effort wide. Arda Guler was available during the move and called for the ball, but Vini backed himself to finish the chance.
He had another opportunity after the interval, this time following an excellent pass from Guler during a quick Real Madrid transition. Again, though, Vinicius could not find the target.
His evening ended in the 68th minute, with Mourinho deciding the Brazilian was tired and turning his attention towards Sunday’s Atletico Madrid derby.
Mourinho has a bigger decision to make
The numbers show why Vinicius’ finishing has become a talking point. He managed five shots against Elche, but only one was on target and none found the net.
After seven appearances this season, the Brazilian has scored just once, which is a striking return for a player Real Madrid rely upon to provide a major share of their attacking threat.
Ultimately, though, Real Madrid found another route to victory, with Arda Guler, Kylian Mbappe and Carlos Espi providing the goals in the 3-2 comeback.
