Real Madrid News
Real Madrid fringe star’s future to be decided in upcoming meeting – report
Real Madrid are now at a point in the season where massive decisions have to be made in preparation for the upcoming campaign, and the future of backup players is one of the topics of interest.
Dani Carvajal, who has been largely a backup this season, was recently announced to be in the final days of his stint at the club, and that was only the first of many painful decisions the club must make in the coming month.
The future of Andriy Lunin, Real Madrid’s backup goalkeeper, is another topic that raises questions and the club must make a decision soon.
A key meeting
As reported by Jorge C Picon, Lunin’s intention is to stay at Real Madrid and the player sees no two ways about it. However, no final decision has been taken.
A meeting is scheduled between the club and Lunin’s entourage to discuss his future and the best path forward for all parties involved.
A decision will only be taken after that meeting and the discussions that take place on that night.
Lunin’s contract, as it stands, runs until the summer of 2030 and it will not be easy for the club to part ways with him if he has made up his mind to stay. What they can do, however, is convince him that he will not have minutes if he stays.
Young options blooming
While Lunin has indeed been a reliable backup for Thibaut Courtois in recent years, doubts have been growing about his performances as time has passed. This season, the Ukrainian star did not look too convincing as the Belgian star’s stand-in.
Los Blancos now have some young talents budding as serious contenders to serve as the second-choice goalkeeper with Javi Navarro and Fran Gonzalez the two most promising names.
Should the club push for Lunin’s departure, it is thus unlikely that they will go to the market for a new goalkeeper. All signs point to an academy talent being handed the opportunity instead.
According to TeamTalk, Real Madrid have joined the growing list of clubs monitoring Gabriel Rajkovic, a 15-year-old winger whose rapid development at Valerenga has already attracted attention from several of Europe’s leading sides.
The Merengues are known for keeping an eye on exciting young talent across the globe and it seems that Rajkovic’s exploits in Norway, with the first team, have alerted them.
Real Madrid keeping tabs on Rajkovic
As per the report, Real Madrid are among a host of clubs closely following the progress of the young forward.
Rajkovic holds both Norwegian and Serbian nationality and has emerged as one of the most promising young players in Norway.
His development has not gone unnoticed, with Barcelona, Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund also understood to be monitoring him.
However, at this point, it is Arsenal and Chelsea, who are understood to be leading the charge for Rajkovic, having compiled a detailed dossier on the teenage prodigy after extensive scouting.
On top of that, the likes of Liverpool, Manchester City, Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur have all watched Rajkovic in recent weeks.
Real Madrid could therefore face significant competition if they decide to step up their interest in a player who has already made an impression at senior level.
Making an impact at just 15
Rajkovic was handed a promotion to the Valerenga first-team squad in January earlier this year, when he was only 14 years old.
Following that, he signed a new contract with the club in March, when he turned 15, committing to the club until 2028.
Despite being only 15, the winger has already begun gaining experience in first-team football. In all, he has made 14 senior appearances for the Norwegian outfit, scoring three and assisting one goal.
Rajkovic has also represented Norway Under-16s, making two appearances and scoring once despite being younger than many of his teammates.
Those numbers become more impressive when his age and stage of development are taken into account.
Real Madrid have built a reputation for identifying young talent well before players reach their peak, and Rajkovic has now emerged as another name on their scouting radar.
But given the number of clubs in the race, signing the teenage wonderkid will not be easy.
