Real Madrid News
Real Madrid full-back on Athletic Club radar for the summer
Alvaro Odriozola has had a topsy-turvy career since joining Real Madrid from Real Sociedad back in 2018. The Spaniard was brought in as an understudy and a long-term replacement for Dani Carvajal but never really got going at the Santiago Bernabeu.
The right-back had a loan stint at Bayern Munich during the second half of the 2019/20 season, where he failed to make an impact. Back at Real Madrid last season, he was hardly utilised by Zinedine Zidane.
Carlo Ancelotti deemed him surplus to requirements too, banking on Carvajal and Lucas Vazquez as his options, allowing Odriozola to leave for Fiorentina on loan. The 26-year-old has impressed heavily in Italy, though, staking a claim for a chance back at Madrid next season.
While Fiorentina wish to sign him permanently at the end of the season, a return to Spain looks a more likely prospect at the end of the season for Odriozola, with Defensa Central reporting that Athletic Club are keen on signing him in the summer.
The Basque outfit are set for their presidential elections imminently and the candidates in the running have identified Odriozola as a potential transfer target for the upcoming transfer window, despite his past association with local rivals Real Sociedad.
The 26-year-old could find a place at Real Madrid next term given how inconsistent Carvajal and Vazquez have been over the course of the season. At the same time, though, Los Blancos would not be averse to cashing in on him, should a reasonable offer come along.
As per the report, the current La Liga leaders would look for a figure of around €20-25 million for the right-back from prospective suitors.
Whether Athletic Club are willing to shell out that money for Odriozola would likely depend on how their elections go and the preferences of the next-elected club president.
Odriozola has played 22 times in Serie A for Fiorentina this term, scoring and assisting one goal apiece. His contract with Real Madrid runs until the summer of 2024. It remains to be seen what the future holds for the Spaniard once he returns from his loan stint.
Jose Felix Diaz has reported via MARCA that Real Madrid want a major change in the Spanish refereeing system.
The reporter writes that the team from the Spanish capital has taken the issue as their top priority mostly because of what happened in the recent derby defeat against Atletico Madrid.
Los Blancos are determined to relentlessly steer a significant overhaul of the refereeing structure, and they have no intention of resting in their pursuit.
Their discontent comes not only from recent events, particularly the contentious derby match but also from a deep-seated frustration with the state of refereeing itself.
Real Madrid not hiding their discontent
The journalist mentions that Real Madrid are unapologetic about their continuous criticism of the refereeing community, firmly believing that a transformation is of utmost importance.
Even prior to the emergence of the Negreira case, the Merengues had been vocal about their dissatisfaction with those responsible for overseeing the refereeing unit.
For what it is worth, the revelation of the former vice president of the CTA’s financial ties to Barcelona only solidified Real Madrid’s resolve to advocate for a complete overhaul in referee management.
Real Madrid are suspicious
Real Madrid firmly assert that any influence from Negreira’s historical decisions in certain key positions raises suspicions about the fairness of the competition.
For that, the management will do everything in its power to achieve a certain level of transparency within the organization that it believes is currently overshadowed by historical baggage.
As of today, Real Madrid continue to voice their concerns through their official channels.
Right now their ultimate goal is to eliminate the involvement of Clos Gomez in VAR decisions, marking the beginning of a long-standing battle they are fighting.
